Certification has been achieved for the third centre fuel tank in the Airbus A350-1000s that will operate Qantas’s ultra-long-range ‘Project Sunrise’ flights.
Speaking during a roundtable discussion at the IATA AGM meeting in Dubai on 4 June, Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace confirmed the development, which relates to the part of the twinjet that is unique to the carrier’s requirements.
“The certification of the third centre fuel tank has happened, so that’s now been concluded,” he states.
Airbus said in February that a six-month delay in the delivery of the aircraft was related to a regulator request for a redesign of the extra tank.
Qantas expects deliveries of the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97-powered aircraft to begin in the third quarter of 2026.
Wallace confirms that Sydney-London and Sydney-New York are under consideration as the launch services for what will be a premium-dense product offering.
He further notes that the carrier has plenty of experience in 15-hour-plus flights with its existing services from Perth.
“We want to be famous for being the ultra-long-haul non-stop leader and we’re very confident about the proposition,” he states.
