Airbus is moving into the final stages of production for the A350-1000ULR (ultralong-range) plane that Qantas will fly nonstop from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London.
The first of those routes, which will be the longest in commercial aviation, are now targeted for launch in the first half of 2027.
"This is something that everyone at Qantas has been waiting for so long," Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a recorded message. Qantas revealed plans for the aircraft in December 2019.
Qantas unveiled the first A350-1000ULR on Thursday outside Airbus' manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France. The fuselage, wings, tail section and landing gear of the plane have been assembled. It will now be transferred to a new hangar for engine and flight test instrument installation, ahead of a test flight program next year.
Under what Qantas calls Project Sunrise, the carrier tasked Airbus with building the A350-1000ULR specifically for the purpose of connecting the major cities on the Australian east coast with New York and London. Qantas says the plane will be able to fly up to 22 hours, with added range made possible by an extra 5,300-gallon rear center fuel tank and enhanced aircraft systems.
The distance between Sydney and London is more than 11,000 miles. The nonstop routes will save four hours of travel between Australia and New York and London.
Qantas has a dozen A350-1000ULRs on order. It will equip those planes with just 238 seats -- 12 in first class, 46 in business class, 40 in premium economy and 140 in economy. In comparison, Qatar Airways has 327 seats on its A350-1000.
To improve comfort on the long flights, the planes will have a Wellbeing Zone located between the premium economy and economy cabins, which will be available to all passengers. The area will offer stretch handles, guided on-screen exercise programs, a hydration station and refreshments.