Lufthansa takes delivery of first A350-1000 and 700th Airbus aircraft 

Lufthansa has taken delivery of its first A350-1000 aircraft, marking a historic moment as this aircraft also represents the 700th Airbus aircraft delivered across the entire Lufthansa Group. The widebody jet carries a commemorative livery honoring “100 years of Lufthansa.” The A350-1000 will feature the newest Lufthansa ‘Allegris’ cabin with 300 seats in First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class. The aircraft will be operated on long-haul routes from its home base in Munich to destinations like Tokyo, Shanghai and Singapore. As one of the world’s biggest Airbus operators, the Lufthansa Group flies the full spectrum of Airbus aircraft, including the A220, A320 Family, A330, A340, A350 Family, and A380. The airline also served as launch operator for the A321, A320neo, and A340-200. The A350 is the world’s most modern widebody aircraft, designed to fly up to 9,700 nautical miles / 18,000 kilometres non-stop, setting new standards for intercontinental travel. The aircraft includes state-of-the-art technologies and aerodynamics delivering unmatched standards of efficiency and comfort. Its latest generation Rolls-Royce engines and use of lightweight materials bring a 25 per cent advantage in fuel burn, operating costs and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, compared to previous generation competitor aircraft. At the end of October 2026, the A350 Family had won 1,628 orders from 70 customers worldwide. Airbus A350-1000ULR for Qantas breaks world distance record (PHOTO: Airbus) The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long Range) has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial airliner. The record was based on aircraft data independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and flightradar24. The Airbus-operated flight, with call-sign AIB35LR, departed Melbourne, Australia at 17.27 local time (06.27 UTC) on Monday 27 July and landed in Toulouse, France at 09.51 am local time (07.51 UTC) on Tuesday 28 July. The flight covered a distance of 12,503 nautical miles (equivalent to 23,155 kilometres), with a flight time of 24 hours and 24 minutes. The mission was undertaken as part of the flight test campaign for the A350-1000ULR, which is being developed for Qantas Airways under Project Sunrise. This included a requirement for Airbus to operate one sector with a block time of 23 hours (from push-back at departure to chocks-on at arrival) to simulate the very longest commercial operations that will be possible with the aircraft. After take-off from Melbourne the aircraft flew over Sydney before heading out over the Pacific on a north-easterly routing towards Los Angeles, crossing the international date line en route. It then flew across the North American continent and over the Atlantic before heading south towards the UK, flying over London and on to Toulouse. As the aircraft crossed three continents and two oceans, the crew witnessed two sunsets and two sunrises. A total of 13 people were on board the aircraft. These included a flight crew of three Airbus flight test pilots, two pilots from Qantas and five Airbus flight test engineers. Two Airbus design engineers were also on board, plus a representative of the International Aeronautical Federation. The A350-1000ULR will enable Qantas Airways to operate non-stop flights between Sydney and London and New York for the first time ever – a distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles, with flight times of up to 22 hours. This is made possible primarily by the integration into the aircraft structure of an additional rear centre tank (RCT), enhancing further the aircraft performance and increasing the range of the aircraft by 1,000 nautical miles. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]