The Qantas A350-1000ULR: A New Dawn for Australian Aviation

Every now and then, an aircraft comes along that reminds us why we fell in love with aviation in the first place. The Qantas Airbus A350-1000ULR is one of those aircraft. For years, Qantas' Project Sunrise has been more than just an ambitious idea. It has been a dream to connect Australia with the world like never before. Now, that dream is becoming a reality.

When I heard that the first Qantas A350-1000ULR was making its historic journey from Toulouse (TLS/LFBO) to Melbourne (MEL/YMML), there was never any question about where I needed to be. Before sunrise, I boarded a flight from Brisbane and traveled to Melbourne for the day, like many other aviation mates, with one goal in mind—to witness this history-making aircraft arrive on Australian soil. 

As the A350 appeared on approach into Melbourne, it was impossible not to feel a sense of excitement. It wasn't just another Airbus touching down—it represented years of innovation, determination and the next chapter in Qantas' history. Around the airport, 100's of photographers, spotters and aviation enthusiasts, stood beside aviation youtubers who had gathered from all over Australia, all sharing the same anticipation of witnessing aviation history unfold before our eyes.

Youtubers streaming live

ONLY PLANE NETWORK (OPN) - BRISBANE BASED

SYDSQUAD -SYDNEY BASED

JULIA FLIGHTS - BRISBANE BASED

MELBOURNE FLYER - MELBOURNE BASED

The A350-1000ULR has been purpose-built for one of the most challenging tasks in commercial aviation: flying non-stop from Australia to destinations like London and New York. Imagine boarding in Sydney, settling into your seat, and stepping off 22 hours later on the other side of the world without a single stop. Not long ago, that sounded like science fiction. Today, it's almost here.

But this aircraft isn't simply about flying further. Qantas and Airbus have designed it with passenger comfort in mind. The cabin will feature just 238 seats spread across four classes, giving travelers more personal space than many long-haul aircraft. A dedicated Wellness Zone will allow passengers to stretch and move around during the flight, while intelligent lighting is designed to help reduce the effects of jet lag. It's clear that every detail has been considered for these ultra-long journeys.

As aviation enthusiasts, we're fortunate to witness moments that future generations will read about in history books. This arrival felt very much like one of those moments. Just as the Boeing 747 transformed long-haul travel decades ago, the A350-1000ULR is preparing to write its own chapter in aviation history.

The first aircraft has fittingly been named Vega, continuing Qantas' tradition of naming aircraft after stars. It won't be long before Vega begins carrying passengers on some of the longest commercial flights ever operated, shrinking the globe and bringing Australia closer to the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, it landed on runway 27, far from where everyone had gathered, and then taxied to an international gate out of sight. However, four and a half hours later, it was towed to the QANTAS hangar, giving the die-hard spotters a second, closer look.

Looking back on Air France Flight 4590

Air France Flight 4590 was an international charter flight of Air France, traveling from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG/LFPG) to New York-John F. Kennedy International Airport, NY (JFK/KJFK), United States of America, flown by an Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde. 

On the afternoon of Tuesday, the 25th of July 2000, the aircraft taxied to runway 26R. Takeoff weight was calculated to be 186,900 tons, including 95 tons of fuel, which was one tone over the maximum takeoff weight. At 16:42:17 local time (14:42:17 UTC) the crew were cleared for takeoff.

At 16:42:31 (14:42:31) the captain commenced takeoff. At 16:42:54 (14:42:54) the co-pilot called one hundred knots, then V1, nine seconds later. A few seconds after that, tyre No 2 (right front) on the left main landing gear was destroyed after having run over debris on the runway during takeoff, blowing a tyre, which threw chunks of tyre into the underside of the left wing and into the landing gear bay with great force. The debris was lost by a Continental Airlines DC-10-30, registered N13067 (MSN 47866) which departed Paris as flight CO55 to Newark five minutes before,

The fuel tank built inside the left wing was completely full. When the tyre fragments struck the wing, the tank ruptured, thereby releasing large quantities of fuel. Tyre fragments severed wiring in the landing gear bay, preventing retraction of the landing gear. Fuel from the ruptured tank ignited, causing a loss of thrust in engines 1 and 2. Lack of thrust, high drag from the extended landing gear, and fire damage to the flight controls made it impossible to control the aircraft, which crashed into a hotel in nearby Gonesse two minutes after takeoff. All 109 people on board were killed, alongside four in the hotel. Six other people in the hotel were critically injured.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Air France

Code: AF/AFR

Aircraft: Aérospatiale / BAC Concorde 101

Registration: F-BTSC

Serial Number: 203

Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce Olympus 593/610

Additional Information:

The aircraft involved was a 25-year-old Aérospatiale-BAC Concorde, it had its maiden flight on the 31st of January 1975 (during testing, the aircraft's registration was F-WTSC). The aircraft was purchased by Air France on the 6th of January 1976. It was powered by four Rolls-Royce Olympus 593/610 turbojet engines, each of which was equipped with afterburners. 

Air France grounded its remaining Concorde's immediately; British Airways, the only other operator of the aircraft, followed suit in August. Both airlines resumed services in November 2001, but less than two years after that, all Concorde service ceased permanently.

Twenty Concorde aircraft were built, six for development and 14 for commercial service.

Two prototypes

• Two pre-production aircraft
• Two development aircraft
• 14 production aircraft (7 to AF and 7 to BA)

The Qantas’ A350-1000ULR aircraft is on its way

Qantas' first Airbus A350-1000ULR has embarked on its inaugural long-endurance test flight, departing Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS/LFBO) for a non-stop journey to Melbourne Airport (MEL/YMML). The milestone flight marks another significant step towards the airline's ultra-long-haul future.

The Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR, currently registered as F-WULR (MSN 707), departed the Airbus facility shortly after 07:30, local time, climbing to 35,000 feet, according to Flightradar24.

The A350 is due to land in Melbourne today around 10.30am.

In a social media post before the flight began, Airbus wrote: “From summer to winter in a single hop! As part of our flight test campaign, our test crew is taking the #A350-1000ULR from Toulouse to Melbourne NON-STOP for the first time.”

I'm heading to Melbourne this morning to witness the arrival of this history-making aircraft. Keep an eye on this page over the next few days for photos from today's trip to Melbourne.

Do you remember the Gimli Glider?

 

Today we remember Air Canada Flight 143, or more commonly known as the "Gimli Glider".  AC143 was a Canadian scheduled domestic passenger flight between Ottawa (YOW/CYOW) and Edmonton (YEG/CYEG) that ran out of fuel on the 23rd of July 1983, at an altitude of 41,000 feet (12,500 m), midway through the flight. The flight crew successfully glided the Boeing 767 to an emergency landing at a former Royal Canadian Air Force base in Gimli, Manitoba that had been converted to a motor racing track. This unusual aviation incident earned the aircraft the nickname "Gimli Glider".  

The accident is commonly blamed on mistaking pounds for kilograms, which resulted in the aircraft carrying only 45% of its required fuel load. However, the unit's error was the last in a series of failures that aligned in a Swiss cheese model to cause the accident. The aircraft departed Montreal and landed at Ottawa, a scheduled stop on its way to Edmonton. At Ottawa the plane was re-fueled, and the crew were told 11,430 liters of fuel were on board. The flight crew then thought they had 20,400 kilos of fuel (instead of only 9,144 kilos!). This amount was entered in the FMS. 

En route to Edmonton, at FL410, the EICAS warned low fuel pressure in the left fuel pump. The captain at once decided to divert the flight to Winnipeg, then 120 miles (192 km) away, and commenced a descent. Within seconds, warning lights appeared indicating loss of pressure in the right main fuel tank. Within minutes, the left engine failed, followed by failure of the right engine. The aircraft was then at 35,000 feet, 65 miles (104 km) from Winnipeg and 45 miles (72 km) from Gimli. Without power to generate electricity all the electronic gauges in the cockpit became blank, leaving only stand-by instruments, consisting of a magnetic compass, an artificial horizon, an airspeed indicator and an altimeter. Vectors were given to Gimli. The captain, who had flying experience on a glider, used gliding techniques to maneuver the airplane for the approach. The landing gear was lowered, but the nose gear could not be lowered and locked. The 767 touched down on runway 32L within 800 feet of the threshold. The nose contacted the runway, and the airplane came to rest short of a part of the runway which was at the time being used as a drag racing strip.

The Board of Inquiry found fault with Air Canada procedures, training, and manuals. It recommended the adoption of fueling procedures and other safety measures that were already being used by US and European airlines. The Board also recommended the immediate conversion of all Air Canada aircraft from Imperial units to metric units, since a mixed fleet was more dangerous than an all-Imperial or an all-metric fleet.

Following Air Canada's internal investigation, Captain Pearson was demoted for six months, and First Officer Quintal was suspended for two weeks for allowing the incident to happen. Three maintenance workers were also suspended. In 1985 the pilots were awarded the first ever Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Diploma for Outstanding Airmanship. Several attempts by other crews who were given the same circumstances in a simulator at Vancouver resulted in crashes. Quintal was promoted to captain in 1989. Pearson remained with Air Canada for ten years and then moved to flying for Asiana Airlines; he retired in 1995. Maurice Quintal died at the age of 68 on September 24, 2015, in Saint-Donat, Quebec.

The aircraft was temporarily repaired at Gimli and flew out two days later to be fully repaired at a maintenance base in Winnipeg. Following the full repair, the aircraft was returned to service with Air Canada. Following a successful appeal against their suspensions, Pearson and Quintal were assigned as crew members aboard another Air Canada flight.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Air Canada

Code: AC/ACA

Aircraft: Boeing 767-233

Registration: C-GAUN

Serial Number: 22520

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7R4D

First Flew: 10/03/1983

Age: 5 Months old

A380 crisis for Qantas

Qantas currently maintains a small active fleet of 10 Airbus A380 aircraft. To meet high international travel demand, the airline's daily schedule requires nine of these superjumbos to be active simultaneously. This month Qantas lost 20% of their operational A380 fleet when VH-OQI was completely sidelined from regular operations since March 2026, undergoing planned heavy maintenance in Dresden, Germany. 

VH-OQG then suffered a major engine defect at London Heathrow Airport on 3rd of July 2026. It remained grounded for 9 days awaiting an emergency engine replacement, despite breaking down in London where the public would think Rolls Royce would have parts/spare engines

Their schedule leaves little room for any breakdown. When one frame is away for scheduled heavy maintenance, such as deep structural overhauls in Dresden, Germany, the airline operates with zero operational spares. Consequently, any unscheduled mechanical breakdown immediately creates a domino effect, leading to high-profile flight cancellations on key routes like Sydney/Melbourne to Los Angeles.

The A380 requires intense maintenance upkeeps as the global fleet crosses two decades of service. Regulators have issued a high volume of global airworthiness directives for the type, tracking items ranging from leaking escape slides to complex structural issues

Many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that fabricated components for the superjumbo have completely shut down their A380 production 

To keep their flagships airborne, airlines globally are forced to buy retired airframes to harvest them for components. Qantas permanently retired two of its original 12 A380s to the Victorville "boneyard," VH-OQE (MSN 027) and VH-OQF (MSN 029) using them heavily as a vital internal supply of parts. 

Recognizing that the quad-engine giant is no longer a viable or fuel-efficient model compared to modern twins, Qantas has shifted its long-term strategy. The airline is actively in talks to accelerate its fleet renewal program. While the official retirement window is scheduled to begin in 2032, Qantas is looking to exercise options for ultra-efficient, twin-engine Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 787 Dreamliners to phase out the superjumbo fleet earlier as new deliveries arrive.

The A380 will be gone from Qantas in less than 6 years. 

Qantas says the A380 has been a complete financial failure for the airline.

Jetstar cuts back on Cairn's route and cancels Auckland route

Jetstar is pausing its flights between the Sunshine Coast and Cairns during this year’s off-peak season due to low demand.

Jetstar took over the route previously operated by Bonza in December 2024, running three flights a week. However, services will pause from early October to mid-December. This change comes as Jetstar also axes its “unviable” Sunshine Coast to Auckland route starting in October.

“Queensland remains central to Jetstar’s growth, and we have one of the most extensive Queensland networks in the country,” a Jetstar spokesperson said.

They went on to say, “While we’ve made some difficult decisions on specific routes, our commitment to Queensland – and to making air travel affordable for Queenslanders – has never been stronger.”

“Sunshine Coast is always a popular destination for Jetstar customers, and we’re committed to providing services for Sunshine Coast local residents, and for people visiting the area.”

The Sunshine Coast – Cairn's route was one of 10 operated by Bonza from its former Sunshine Coast hub before the airline went into voluntary administration in April 2024. 

Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills said that the airport is disappointed in the decision to drop the “well-loved” route, which will slash passenger numbers by up to 35,000 over the next year.

Jetstar also confirmed last month it will axe its trans-Tasman route between Sunshine Coast and Auckland, pointing to “lower-than-expected demand” and “significant rise in operating costs, including fuel”.

“These rising costs include the soon to be implemented increase in Australia’s Passenger Movement Charge to $80 per passenger, expected to directly impact flight performance from 2027, as well as broader escalation in aviation-related taxes, transport fees, government and airport charges on both sides of the Tasman,” the airline said in a NZ press release in June.

“These continue to place pressure on international routes, especially for low-fares airlines.” a Jetstar spokesperson said.

Saturday spotting at Brisbane Airport

Following on from yesterday's story, below are some of the photos we took before the bus trip and while at Fellowship place. Photos with ** are taken by my daughter Selina.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES AIRBUS A350-941 9V-SHE (MSN 294)
SQ256 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 7 YEARS

JETSTAR BOEING 787-9 VH-VKJ (MSN 36236)
JQ9 OFF TO TOKYO (NRT) 11 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737 MAX 8 VH-8IH (MSN 66650)
VA45 OFF TO DENPASAR (DPS) 2 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-X3E (MSN 4914)
JQ834 OFF TO PROSERPINE (PPP) 14 YEARS

JETSTAR AIRBUS A321-251NX VH-OFV (MSN 11301)
JQ931 ARRIVING FROM CAIRNS (CNS) 3 YEARS **

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBD (MSN 513)
QF51 OFF TO SINGAPORE (SIN) 23 YEARS

AVCAIR LEARJET 60 VH-AVL (MSN 60-286) 21 YEARS **

        AIR NIUGINI BOEING 767-383 P2-PXW (MSN 25365)
         PX4 OFF TO PORT MORESBY (POM) 34 YEARS **

QANTASLINK EMBRAER E190AR VH-UYB (MSN 19000012)
QLK1982 ARRIVING FROM NEWCASTLE (NTL) 21 YEARS **

NAURU AIRLINES BOEING 737-83N VH-AN2 (MSN 30660)
ON1 ARRIVING FROM NAURU (INU) 23 YEARS **

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VGY (MSN 4177) 
JQ753 OFF TO LAUNCESTON (LST) 16 YEARS

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA BOEING 737-7K2 VH-NBP (MSN 38128)
VA384 ARRIVING FROM TOWNSVILLE (TSV) 14 YEARS

ALLIANCE AIRLINES FOKKER 70 VH-QQY (MSN 11575)
VA1712 ARRIVING FROM GLADSTONE (GLT) 30 YEARS

CHINA EASTERN AIRBUS A330-243 B-6543 (MSN 1280)
MU716 OFF TO SHANGHAI (PVG) 14 YEARS **

JETSTAR BOEING 787-8 VH-VKB (MSN 36288)
JQ53 OFF TO SEOUL (ICN) 12 YEARS **

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-271NY VH-OGA (MSN 12323)
QF523 OFF TO SYDNEY (SYD) 1 YEAR

QANTAS AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBL (MSN 976)
QF518 ARRIVING FROM SYDNEY (SYD) 17 YEARS **

PHILIPPINE AIRBUS A321-271N RP-C9933 (MSN 8242)
PR222 OFF TO MANILA (MNL) 7 YEARS **

ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR BEECH KING AIR 200C VH-FDM (MSN BL-161) **