First Qantas A350-1000ULR exits hangar in Toulouse ahead of final ground checks
Qantas Airways, via its official Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, announced (12-Apr-2026) its first A350-1000ULR exited the hangar in Toulouse with its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines "fitted and ready to start final ground checks and a two-month flight testing campaign". The aircraft will support the carrier's nonstop Project Sunrise flights from Sydney to London and New York.
Background ✨
Qantas Airways’ second Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR entered final assembly in Toulouse, with major sections joined and the tail installed, while the first aircraft progressed through advanced ground testing ahead of a flight test programme due to start “in the coming months”1. Rolls-Royce previously delivered Trent XWB-97 engines to Airbus for the A350-1000ULR expected to join Qantas’ fleet in 20262.