Tests for what would be the longest flights the world, from London to the east coast of Australia, have hit a major milestone following a trial of a new ultra-long-range plane.
The Qantas Airbus, capable of being in the air for 22 hours, made its maiden test departure from an airport in France on Tuesday afternoon. Pilots tested the plane for about four hours which officially kicked off the two-month testing window.
The plane took off from Toulouse on Tuesday and will now be redesigned by Qantas. This will include installing four different types of seating.
The plane was the second of 12 A350-1000ULR planes that were built for the airline. It features an extra fuel tank as well as lighter, more efficient fridges to maximise travel distance.
View 3 ImagesThe Airbus flight was tested on Tuesday (Image: Airbus)
Pilots and crew tested the new fuel system and carried out general performance analysis. The extra tank adds a whopping 1,118 miles of range.
A Qantas spokesperson said the test flight ran for three hours and 43 minutes. The plane also reached an altitude of more than 41,000ft.
Qantas said it plans to announce the first route and timing of passenger flights on the new plane later this month. It comes after Airbus admitted supply chain issues pushed back the delivery of the plane by some four months.
View 3 ImagesThe pilots were in the air for several hours as part of the first major test of the window (Image: Airbus)
A Qantas spokesperson said the planes would be the first non-stop flights from Australia’s east coast to both London and New York. The spokesperson added: “The successful first flight marks the beginning of a two-month testing campaign, with the aircraft to complete around 80 hours of flight testing and undergo extensive on-ground checks and certification of new and redesigned components.”
The plane will be refitted and given a fresh coat of paint ahead of its delivery to the airline in April, the spokesperson continued. The next four planes after April will arrive “in quick succession,” the Qantas spokesperson said.
Qantas currently flies non-stop Perth-London flights that take about 18 hours. It is hoped the new planes would cut hours from passenger journeys. Singapore Airlines flies the longest commercial flights in the world, which are from New York and New Jersey to the city state in South East Asia.