Recently the German Air Force has been putting its new Airbus A350, registered 10+03, to the test. As part of these tests, the aircraft operated an ultra-long-haul flight from Germany to Australia on Friday. The flight clocked in at 19 hours and 13 minutes, rivaling Qantas’ non-stop London to Sydney service just over a year ago, and likely becoming the longest A350 flight to date.
once fully commissioned, it will be used to ferry German VIPs such as Angela Merkel and the German head of state worldwide. Germany recently welcomed the UK’s equivalent aircraft.
10+03, along with two more A350s, will replace the country’s aging A340 that has been less than reliable as of late. These long-haul flights form part of the air force’s test program for the aircraft before it enters service. It will allow them to iron out any little kinks before VIPs step foot on the aircraft.