offbeat
Ultra long range edition should enable 22-hour nonstop Australia-to-Europe flights next year
Airbus yesterday flew the latest variant of its A350 widebody jet from Australia to France, non-stop, on a route that saw it remain aloft for over 24 hours.The variant is called the A350-1000ULR, which stands for Ultra-Long Range. The plane earns its name thanks to its use of an additional rear center fuel tank that can carry 20,900 liters of fuel capacity. That tank gives the plane a range of almost 10,000 nautical miles, or 18,500km/11,500 miles.
The launch customer for the plane is Australia’s largest airline, Qantas, which wants it so it can fly non-stop from to and from Europe, and to New York. Australia-Europe flights will take up to 22 hours, just two or three hours less than is possible to make the same journey with an intermediate stop.
Qantas thinks there’s a market for the direct route and that passengers will pay a premium for the privilege of remaining in a carbon fiber tube for almost an entire day, instead of stopping to stretch their legs or buy some duty free en route.
