Airbus completed a marathon test flight lasting more than 24 hours that triggered a surge in online tracking ​when an A350 jet being developed for record-beating commercial flights ‌touched down in France from Melbourne on Tuesday.

The test marks a key step in Qantas’ Project Sunrise, which aims to launch the world’s longest commercial passenger services ​and reshape long-haul travel by eliminating stopovers between Australia and ​Europe.

The specially adapted A350-1000ULR airliner is due to debut with ⁠the Australian carrier’s nonstop Sydney-London route from 2027. Airbus has ​been conducting a two-month test campaign on the aircraft since June.

Airbus said ​the aircraft, which boasts a specially designed extra fuel tank, remained in the air for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering 23,075 km (14,338 miles) without stopping, before ​landing at the plane’s factory in Toulouse, France.

Flight-tracking provider Flightradar24 said ​the trip was the second-most-tracked flight ever on its channels — behind a 2022 flight ‌carrying ⁠Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin — with more than 3.6 million people following its progress northwards via Canada.

In 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner flew 21,601.7 km (13,422 miles) from Hong Kong to London in 22 hours and 42 minutes.

Qantas has ordered 12 modified A350-1000ULR aircraft, designed to connect Australia’s east coast with London and New York in about 20 hours. The services ​aim to turn what was once a five-day journey ​on ⁠the “Kangaroo Route” to London into a single flight lasting 19 to 21 hours, depending on routing and winds.

The first aircraft, which carries 20,000 litres ⁠of ​fuel and can seat 238 passengers, is ​due for delivery in April 2027. Qantas expects to operate daily nonstop flights between Sydney and ​London from October 2027.