Airbus · Widebody · In Development
Airbus A350-1000ULR
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The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long Range) is a specialized widebody derivative designed to conquer the planet's most demanding non-stop commercial routes. Engineered specifically to fulfill the stringent requirements of Qantas's 'Project Sunrise', the aircraft bridges the gap between eastern Australia and global financial hubs like London and New York with block times stretching up to 22 hours.
To achieve this unprecedented performance without sacrificing structural integrity or payload, the -1000ULR incorporates a modified fuel system featuring an additional 20,000-litre rear center tank alongside an optimized maximum takeoff weight. To enhance passenger wellness on ultra-long hauls, operators trade high-density seating capacity for a spacious, lower-capacity cabin configuration complete with dedicated stretched zones and an emphasis on premium classes.
By The Numbers
The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) is currently undergoing its flight-test and certification campaign following the rollout of its initial test aircraft, MSN 707. Designed specifically to support Qantas Airways' ambitious 'Project Sunrise' initiative, the type is backed by a firm order of 12 aircraft intended to connect eastern Australian hubs like Sydney and Melbourne directly to London and New York.
As a specialized derivative built with structural modifications and an additional 20,000-litre fuel capacity, the A350-1000ULR has not yet entered commercial service or completed serial deliveries, with launch operations scheduled to commence following final type certification.
Manufacturing
Where It's Built
The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long Range) is finally assembled at Airbus's Jean-Luc Lagardère facility in Toulouse, France. Built as a specialized, high-weight derivative of the baseline A350-1000, the aircraft incorporates structural enhancements most notably featuring an integrated additional rear center fuel tank (RCT) to extend its operational range to nearly 10,000 nautical miles for marathon missions such as Qantas's Project Sunrise.
Major structural and systems responsibilities are distributed across a global Tier-1 supply chain: composite and metallic fuselage sections are fabricated across European sites including France, Germany, and Spain; the signature adaptive carbon-composite wings are engineered and manufactured in the United Kingdom (Broughton); landing gear systems are supplied by Safran Landing Systems; primary flight control actuators are manufactured by Moog, alongside slat actuators by Liebherr and horizontal stabilizer trim actuators by Collins Aerospace; and the aircraft's avionics suite is provided by Thales, integrated alongside a Honeywell flight management system and air management architecture.
As an ultra-long-range variant derived from an existing production program rather than a clean-sheet program launch, a standalone, segregated development cost specifically isolated to the -1000ULR sub-variant is not officially itemized or publicly documented by Airbus.
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