Qantas First A350-1000ULR Arriving In 2026

Qantas Group has provided an update on its fleet, with a focus on taking delivery of the first Airbus A350-1000ULR.

The Australian flag carrier expects to deliver its first A350-1000ULR in the second half of 2026 as part of its renewal efforts.

Ultimately, the delivery of this A350-1000ULR will be part of a significant expansion of the international network spurred by the return of the last two parked Airbus A380s.

Like most airlines, Qantas parked its A380 fleet during the global pandemic; however, it has been slowly returning them to service over recent years, highlighting its complex nature.

These A380s will enter back in service by the end of the 2025 calendar year, and thus when the A350-1000ULR enters service, capacity will have increased tenfold, opening up many new opportunities.

The first A350ULR will enter the final assembly stage of its production in September 2025. Following this, flight testing will occur before delivery in the second half of 2026, permitting no further delays.

Why Qantas Ordered The A350-1000ULR

Qantas ordered the A350-1000ULR as part of the carrier’s plans to expand its global reach and make Australia accessible to some of the most in-demand cities without a stopover.

Labelled Project Sunrise, the carrier wants to offer routes lasting more than 20 hours, such as Sydney to London and Sydney to New York, among many others.

Project Sunrise plans have been a long time in the making, with the first talk emerging in the 2010s when an A350ULR type aircraft was pitted against the Boeing 777- 9.

Across the many years that followed, Airbus and Boeing would battle it out, attempting to compete for the significant order with the pandemic delaying the process ever so slightly.

The Many Delays Already

Unfortunately, for Qantas, delays to the launch of the Project Sunrise endeavour have occurred quite frequently, spurred on by several factors.

At the beginning of 2024, the carrier pushed the launch of its Project Sunrise to the middle of 2026 following delays in the acquisition of the A350.

With delivery expected in the second half of 2026 by the time the aircraft completes necessary crew training processes, it’ll likely be closer to a 2027 launch.

In early 2024, when speaking with insiders close to the airline, it was clear that even at this point, achieving a mid-2026 delivery would be challenging considering supply chain constraints.

Qantas has selected 24 Airbus A350-1000s in total. This commitment to the series increased midway through 2023 when the airline ordered 12 more of the type.

While the A350s are set to feature Economy Class, the cabins primarily rely on a premium configuration, allowing the airline to keep the overall weight down and enhance the type’s capabilities.