Airbus faces delays in introducing an ultra-long-range version of its A350-1000 jet designed for Qantas Airways’ non-stop Sydney-London flights because a regulator has asked it to redesign an extra fuel tank, a senior executive said.
“The regulator has asked us to redesign the centre tank on the ultra-long-range airplane for Sunrise,” Christian Scherer, the CEO of Airbus’ commercial aircraft business said on Thursday on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, referring to the airline’s “Project Sunrise” flights from Sydney to London.
Qantas said on Thursday the delivery dates for its first A350-1000 planes capable of the ultra-long-range flights had been pushed back by about six months to mid-2026.
