Australian airline Qantas has set a new record for the world’s longest commercial flight after one of its Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft flew nonstop from Melbourne to Toulouse, France. The aircraft covered 23,075 kilometres in 24 hours and 24 minutes. It departed Melbourne Airport at 5:27 p.m. local time on July 27 and landed successfully in Toulouse on July 28.

The journey was conducted as part of Qantas’ Project Sunrise program. Equipped with additional fuel tanks, the aircraft reached its destination without stopping while flying over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. According to Airbus, the flight surpassed the previous record of 22 hours and 42 minutes, set by a Boeing 777-200LR in 2005.

The flight generated substantial attention online. FlightRadar24 data showed that more than 3.6 million people tracked its route. Under Project Sunrise, Qantas plans to begin regular nonstop commercial flights between Sydney and London from October 2027.