SINGAPORE/SYDNEY: 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.

“We have to redesign the centre tank, the extra fuel tank, that will allow the Sunrise mission, and that’s what explains the shift,” Scherer said.

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said the delay was due to certification of the first aircraft taking longer than expected.

“However, we believe that the fleet for the 12 aircraft that will come, will come relatively quickly after that,” she told reporters. Hudson added that demand for non-stop flying remained strong, as shown by the carrier’s Perth-London flights and new Perth-Paris services.

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“So we are more than ever confident that the business case still stands, and that the aircraft’s six-month delay is not a concern,” she said.

Airbus had faced delays in its A321XLR long-range narrow-body programme after concerns were raised with regulators that a novel type of fuel tank could pose fire risks.

The issues have since been resolved.