Airbus A350-1000ULR EASA Certification Campaign Begins

Airbus SE has initiated a two-month flight testing and certification campaign for the A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) following the aircraft’s maiden flight on June 2, 2026. The testing phase marks a critical milestone for Qantas Airways Limited and its Project Sunrise initiative, which aims to operate the world’s longest commercial passenger flights.

According to press releases issued by Airbus, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification campaign will focus on the structural and systems modifications required to keep the aircraft airborne for up to 22 hours. Qantas ordered 12 of the ultra-long-range jets in May 2022 to connect Australia’s east coast directly with cities including London and New York.

Engineering the ultra-long-range architecture

To achieve an approximate range of 10,000 nautical miles, Airbus integrated a Rear Centre Tank into the A350-1000ULR. This modification provides an additional 20,000 litres of fuel capacity compared to the standard A350-1000 variant. The certification campaign will heavily evaluate the new fuel system architecture, specifically the sequencing and management of fuel transfers by the Fuel Quantity Management System.

The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. Alongside the fuel system changes, Airbus introduced a new galley air cooling system. This system saves 300 kilograms of weight and will eventually become standard across the broader A350 Family.

Flight test instrumentation and campaign scope

The maiden test flight of the first A350-1000ULR, designated as manufacturer serial number 707 (MSN707), took place in Toulouse, France. The aircraft flew for 3 hours and 43 minutes and reached a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet.

For the two-month testing period, Airbus installed 5 tonnes of custom flight test instrumentation on MSN707, including 1,000 specially designed sensors distributed throughout the cabin.

“Flight testing a production aircraft adds a layer of extra pressure. You are sitting inside the actual product. The customer is trusting us with their future flagship. Every switch we flip, every check we carry out, every manoeuvre we perform has to be executed with the passenger experience and operational reliability in mind,” said Laurent Rossignol, an Airbus Test Flight Engineer.

Unlike dedicated prototype airframes, MSN707 will not remain a permanent testbed. Following the conclusion of the EASA certification campaign, Airbus will retrofit the aircraft to Qantas’ commercial specifications prior to delivery.

Delivery timeline adjustments

Qantas initially challenged manufacturers to increase the range of long-haul aircraft when it launched Project Sunrise in 2017. While the flight testing phase is now underway, the airline will wait slightly longer than initially anticipated to receive its first airframe.

According to reporting by FLYING Magazine, supply chain constraints have delayed the first delivery of the A350-1000ULR to Qantas. Originally targeted for late 2026, the handover is now expected in April 2027.

AirPro News analysis

We view the condensed two-month certification window as a strong indicator of Airbus’s confidence in the baseline A350-1000 platform. Because the ULR variant relies on targeted modifications rather than a clean-sheet redesign, the regulatory burden is significantly reduced. The integration of the Rear Centre Tank is the primary technical hurdle. While the delivery delay to April 2027 is a setback for Qantas, it aligns with the broader supply chain bottlenecks currently affecting both major commercial airframe manufacturers. The successful deployment of these 12 aircraft will likely serve as a definitive test case for the economic viability of ultra-long-haul point-to-point routing.

Sources: Airbus