These are the very first images... Out of the Airbus hangar is the plane capable of flying nonstop for 22 hours

E' the aircraft that will break all nonstop range records with paying passengers on board. The A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) first rolled off the Airbus assembly line in Toulouse, complete with horizontal and vertical wing surfaces, but obviously without engines and in a rough finish.

When it will be delivered to Qantas in a year's time, at the end of 2026, will (it is estimated in the first half of 2027) allow the Autralian carrier (which has ordered 12 so far) to fly nonstop between the east coast of Australia-that is, from cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to London and New York, covering routes of more than 10,500 miles (equal to about 17,000 km) thanks to the 20,000 liters of additional fuel that will be housed in a central ventral serborium.

With Flight times that will be around 22 hours, or three more than the current longest non-stop connection, the New York JFK-Singapore operated by an A350-900ULR in just over 19 hours.

Qantas, partly because of Australia's relative geographical isolation from the rest of the world, has always been driven to fly 'long'. Already, in the top 10 longest nonstop air links in the world, three are his: the Sydney-Dallas, the Perth-Paris and the Perth-Rome. But with the arrival of the A350-1000ULR, the winged kangaroo company will break every record.

The project, called 'Project Sunrise' because in the course of the flights from west to east, passengers will be able to see the sun rise twice, has been engaging the carrier for at least three years, from the point of view of operations, in-flight service and the physical well-being of passengers who will spend almost an entire day on a plane.

Meanwhile, the aircraft will have in the configuration given by Qantas to Airbus, a very low seat density: just 238 in all, compared with the 350 that the -1000 used to carry in two to three classes of service.

Of cabins, however, the A350-1000ULRs of the Sunrise project will have four: one of First, with six suites (1-1-1) in two rows that will have separate seat and bed, somewhat along the lines of the First of Singapore Airlines e Air France's new La Premiere, and a 32-inch IFE super-shield.

Behind will be 52 Business Suite (1-2-1), 40 Premium Economy (2-3-2) seats with a pitch of 40 inches (102cm) and 140 Economy seats with a pitch of 33 inches (84cm).

A first assessment of the 'hard' product tells us that Qantas has certainly made no effort, as far as personal space in Premium Economy and Economy is concerned: the 40 inches of pitch in PE is as much as that offered by, say, ITA and Emirates whose flights certainly do not last 20-odd hours, and less than the 42-43 inches of the best PEs (such as EVA Air's). Even 33 inches in Economy seems very little for a 22-hour stay on board. Commendable, however, is the choice to put on board a 'wellness zone' where passengers can spend time standing, stretching and hydrating properly.

One of the main themes of the Sunrise project will be to see whether passengers will prefer to 'shoot off' a nonstop flight from Europe and the U.S. East Coast to Australia or, instead, continue to prefer a stopover, albeit a short one, to relax and stretch their legs along the way.

From this point of view, Singapore Airlines for its flights to New York JFK, Newark and Los Angeles, has made a stark choice, eliminating Economy altogether and putting only Business Class and Premium Economy on board its A350-900ULRs.

• project sunrise