World's longest flight: Airbus Ultra Long Range A350 XWB takes to the sky

A plane championed as the stalwart of the next era of long haul air travel has successfully completed its first flight. The Ultra Long Range A350 XWB took off from the Airbus' headquarters in Toulouse before performing a short flight above the south of France and returning to the French city. The aircraft has a range of 9700 nautical miles and will later in the year serve a record-breaking route between Singapore and New York, courtesy of Singapore Airlines. The flight, at 15,322 km, will shoot to the top of the table as the world's longest commercial flight. Marisa Lucas-Ugena, head of A350 marketing at the French aircraft manufacturers, said that the A350 ULR is the "most advanced airplane for now and for many years to come". The aircraft is a modified version of earlier A350 variants with a new fuel system that enables it to carry 24,000 litres without the need for additional fuel tanks, which would add weight and impact efficiency. <br/>