Qantas is gearing up to launch the world’s longest-ever commercial service between Sydney and London. At 9,188 nautical miles (10,573 miles or 17,016 km) and scheduled to exceed 20 hours, the nonstop journey linking the Australian and English capital cities will far outdo anything attempted by an airline before. But such an undertaking is no mean feat, and is something that cannot simply be served by any old aircraft.

The Airbus A350-1000ULR (ULR for Ultra Long Range) will be used as a result, having been developed specifically for the task. Qantas ordered 12 of these from Airbus in May 2022 under its “Project Sunrise” plan to begin flying direct routes from Sydney Airport (SYD) to both New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Expectations are currently for the first of these to arrive next April, leaving the inaugural record-breaking flight at some point later in the year.

A350-1000ULR Suited For London-Sydney By Design

Credit: Qantas

Tweaks have been made to the existing Airbus A350-1000 in order to bring the aircraft up to standard for the extreme distance. Though the conventional -1000 is impressive in itself, a 9,000-nautical-mile (10,357-mile or 16,668-km) range leaves its capabilities just shy of those needed for the ambitious connection.

Besides structural improvements and reinforced landing gear to allow for an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW), an extra rear center tank has been permanently fitted to the -1000ULR. The addition of this tank marks the most significant change between the duo. Able to hold 5,283 (US) gallons (20,000 liters), it takes the -1000ULR’s usable fuel capacity to 48,893 gallons (185,076 liters), according to airport and maintenance planning documents from Airbus.

Select Airbus A350 XWB passenger variant specifications:

*Yet to be published

Additional fuel capacity, naturally, translates to extended range. In the case of the -1000ULR, the extra tank allows distances of up to 9,800 nautical miles (11,278 miles or 18,150 km) to be flown. It is, by design, perfect for the Sydney and London link thanks to this additional fuel capacity, building on the already strong range boasted by the -1000.

Qantas Has Had To Make Concessions

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Behind the -1000ULR’s boosted range is not just extra fuel capacity, however. In order to make nonstop flights between London and Sydney a reality, concessions have also been required elsewhere. Namely, Qantas’ -1000ULRs are set to have far fewer seats onboard than other Airbus A350 variants.

Where the -1000 typically carries between 350 and 410 passengers in a three-class configuration, Qantas is poised to operate its -1000ULRs with 238 seats in a four-class layout. The difference is pretty stark, especially when you consider that the -1000 can carry up to a maximum of 480 people if needed.

Qantas A350-1000ULR specifications:

The key reason for this is weight. The -1000ULR has been designed for endurance, while the -1000 was developed with both range and seating in mind. Singapore Airlines, which currently operates the world’s longest route between the Asian city-state and New York, has made the same trade-off with the Airbus A350-900ULR. Here, the specialized variant carries 161 passengers against the 300 to 350 of its counterpart, the Airbus A350-900.

Fewer Seats Also Means Much-Needed Space And Pricier Tickets

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Realistically, reduced capacity is probably not something Qantas executives will be overly worried about. Instead, the carrier should find itself able to charge a premium given both the lower availability of tickets, but more importantly, because of the time that can be shaved off the journey by avoiding a stop.

A good example is Singapore Airlines, which is the sole operator of the -900ULR. With no other nonstop services using ultra-long-haul aircraft available between Singapore and New York, the airline has found itself operating alone at arguably the most premium end of the market. One can opt for the shorter journey time, but it will cost them. In this regard, it is no surprise that Singapore operates its -900ULRs with no basic economy seats.

For Qantas, the goal of linking Australia’s east coast and England’s capital equates to “a new dawn of travel” and the “final frontier of aviation” in its own words. Time will tell if the demand for an uninterrupted connection between the two is really there. But up until now, the hub-and-spoke model appears to have served passengers making the journey pretty well. Indeed, the flight is set to be such an undertaking that Qantas will offer an onboard “wellness zone” to “promote movement” during the near day-long amount of time passengers will spend in the air.

Boeing 787 Can’t Make Journey And 777X Won’t

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The dominant reason the -1000ULR is the only jet that can make it between Sydney and London without stopping is that Boeing, whether intentionally or not, has not developed its own equivalent. Issues at the US plane maker have been well documented in recent years, most recently in terms of the heavily delayed Boeing 777X program.

But despite being Boeing’s latest addition to its widebody portfolio, even the 777X will not match the -1000, let alone the -1000ULR, on range. Per Boeing, the 777-8 and 777-9 will be able to fly 8,745 nautical miles (10,064 miles or 16,200 km) and 7,285 nautical miles (8,383 miles or 13,500 km) respectively. This means neither will be close to being capable of making the journey that the -1000ULR is designed for. That said, each offers advantages in terms of capacity and payload against the A350 and, in particular, -1000ULR, so the argument is that they have been developed for a different purpose.

This differing design philosophy stretches to the Boeing 787, too. While the Dreamliner made regular nonstop flight between Australia and the United Kingdom possible, the -1000ULR has promised to go a step further. Qantas began flying between Perth and London in 2018 thanks to the 787, but the family’s maximum 7,865-nautical-mile (9,050-mile or 14,570-km) range has meant a trip significantly further down under from London has always been out of question.

When Will The A350-1000ULR Debut?

Credit: Airbus

As it stands, an unbroken connection between Australia and England’s capitals remains theoretical. Qantas has planned to start the service for several years, but delays have pushed the inaugural flight further and further back. News of the most recent delay struck earlier this month, placing the first trip somewhere towards the back end of 2027.

According to Qantas, the first of its -1000ULRs was in the paint shop in Toulouse getting made up in the airline’s colors as of late May. Test flights were said to be “just weeks away” at the time, with pilot training also “well underway” at Qantas’ new A350 simulator in Sydney.

In the statement shared with Simple Flying, Qantas added: “Next month we’ll announce the first route and timing of our inaugural commercial services […] When these services take off, passengers will save up to four hours off the journey. Three aircraft are needed to run a daily non-stop service on either route [to New York or London]. While the first aircraft delivery has shifted to April 2027, the next four will follow in quick succession, putting us back on our original schedule by November.”

Will The A350-1000ULR Pay Off?

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Airbus’ A350 program was born out of the idea that ultra-long-haul was the next frontier in commercial aviation. The 1000ULR has looked to take this a step further. But, Qantas and Airbus have made a bet with the -1000ULR that passengers will be prepared to sit aboard an aircraft for potentially well over 20 hours at a time. Those who have made the trek from London to Sydney might tell you that the journey feels almost endless currently. Perhaps the roughly four hours of travel time the nonstop service will cut may make all the difference.

Peers will be waiting in the wings to gauge Qantas’ success, therefore, and whether the -1000ULR’s popularity takes off should be revealed through appetite for the Sydney to London or New York connections. Experience would suggest that a break on what would otherwise almost be a full day aboard an aircraft is a necessity for many. But there too, the experience can largely depend on the fare type and whether one is enjoying the bells and whistles of premium service or is crammed into economy class.

So, would you be keen to make the crossing in one fell swoop aboard a Qantas A350-1000ULR? Or, is the prospect of a 20-plus hour nonstop flight just too awful to bear? Feel free to let us know below.