World's longest flight lasting 22 hours non-stop hits key milestone

An aircraft set to operate what is tipped to become the world's longest non-stop commercial flight, lasting up to a staggering 22 hours, has hit a milestone. On Tuesday, June 2, Airbus successfully completed the maiden test flight of its A350-1000ULR, developed for ultra-long-haul routes and poised to shatter records for the lengthiest non-stop commercial journey.

The aircraft will make possible direct services between Sydney, Australia, and major cities like London and New York. During its inaugural flight, the MSN 707 model remained airborne for three hours and 43 minutes. Piloted by an Airbus test crew and equipped with specialist instrumentation, the aircraft took off from and touched back down in Toulouse, France, soaring to an altitude of more than 41,000 feet (12,500 metres).

This represents a key moment for long-haul aviation, with the aircraft making these non-stop routes viable for the very first time, potentially slashing journey times by as much as four hours.

Currently, the world's longest commercial route in operation is Singapore Airlines' Singapore to New York service, exceeding 18 hours and covering approximately 15,350km. By comparison, Sydney to London would stretch to 18,500km.

The "ULR" in A350-1000ULR — a variant of the A350-1000 — stands for "ultra-long range". A key difference is an extra tank capable of holding 20,000 litres of fuel, which Airbus says extends the range by more than 1,800km.

It stated: "During the first flight, the crew carried out general performance checks on the aircraft and tested the new fuel system architecture. This marks the start of a two-month flight test campaign to certify the modifications."

Further tests will cover things like ventilation and temperature control in the cabin, and a refrigeration system. Australian airline Qantas has ordered the first 12 units, the first of which is scheduled to arrive in April 2027.

Qantas' plans form part of its so-called "Sunrise Project", a name that refers to the fact that those flying on the lengthiest flights can see the sun rise twice as a result of the time difference.

Some of the features of the Qantas flight will be reduced passenger numbers (about 300 down to 238), a wellness area, and Wi-Fi access.

It comes after a flight attendant weighed in on passengers who ask to swap seats on planes. The individual, who goes by Ms Attendant Tea on TikTok, didn't mince her words in her assessment.

She said: "What is the problem with that? Now, if you wanted to change a seat, you could have done so when you booked the flight.

I don't know, there are some sites of where you get the tickets from, it is an extra fee for you to select your seats, but you could have done that when you booked the flight.

"You may have had to pay a little extra, but you could have done that. Or, once you were assigned a seat, you could have taken care of that at the gate.

"Now, let me say something. When you get to me on the plane, every weight has been accounted for. All the calculations have been done, and everything else so, yes, where you are sitting is calculated in our weight and balance, which is an issue.

"So, when you get on a plane and ask me 'can I sit here because I see [an] empty seat?', and I say 'no'. What is the problem?"