Airbus has completed a first flight with the A350-1000ULR variant in development for Qantas. The aircraft (MSN707) flew with an Airbus crew of two test pilots and four engineers for 3:43h and reached an altitude of slightly above 41,000ft before returning to Toulouse, the airframer says. It notes that MSN707 is the first of 12 A350-1000ULRs ordered by Qantas and is currently equipped with flight test instrumentation. It will be retrofitted for commercial operation after the test campaign. Airbus estimates that the flight test campaign will take two months. The A350-1000ULR features an additional rear-centre fuel tank designed to increase range by 1,000nm to 9,700nm and flight times of up to 22h. The airframer additionally intends to certificate during the campaign a new galley air cooling system with lighter and more efficient refrigeration units. Qantas intends to use the A350-1000ULR for nonstop flights from Australia's east coast to Europe and the US East Coast in a four-class layout with 238 seats. It is now scheduled to receive its first aircraft in April 2027. That aircraft will be the second A350-1000ULR, Airbus says. It will come out of the paint shop in coming days and subsequently receive its engines and finishing work for its cabin interior, the airframer adds. Airbus previously introduced an ultra-long-range variant of the A350-900.

The UK government has introduced new legislation intended to modernise the aviation sector, including by strengthening passenger protections and improving the efficiency of national airspace. The Civil Aviation Bill, currently undergoing its second reading in parliament, would give the Civil Aviation Authority enhanced enforcement powers while overhauling regulation of the UK's skies. Under the proposed laws, airlines and airports could face fines if they fail to properly compensate passengers for cancelled flights, provide adequate support during delays or ensure accessible services for disabled travellers. The measures are designed to ensure passengers receive assistance including food, accommodation and clear information during disruption. UK passenger rights are currently governed by UK261, officially retained in UK law as the Air Passenger Rights Regulation 2004. When the nation left the European Union, it essentially copied the bloc's EU261 passenger rights regulation directly into UK law. While it functions almost identically to the EU regulation, it is operated independently under the oversight of the CAA. The proposed new legislation is also aimed at accelerating long-planned airspace modernisation, allowing flightpaths to be redesigned to reduce delays and improve efficiency. By cutting congestion, the government aims to deliver faster journeys and lower emissions while accommodating future growth. "As UK airspace approaches 70 years since its original design, these changes are critical to accommodate growing passenger numbers and reduce avoidable delays," says the Department for Transport. "Without this reform, passengers could face delays increasing by 200% by 2040, which is why UK ADS [Airspace Design Service] has already begun redrawing London routes, with changes planned for the mid-2030s." The bill also includes provisions to streamline aviation safety rulemaking, enabling the UK to respond more quickly to new technologies and emerging risks. Tim Alderslade, chief of industry group Airlines UK, has welcomed the legislation's emphasis on enabling growth in the UK industry, but warns that "new rules must strike the right balance and deliver real consumer benefits" as "unnecessary burdens help no one". He adds: "We look forward to shaping this legislation with government as it progresses through parliament."

Italian competition authority AGCM has opened an investigation into EasyJet's online booking process. The probe will focus on how the UK carrier sells additional services – specifically checked baggage for round-trip flights – on its Italian website and mobile app. AGCM accuses EasyJet of structuring the purchase process to advertise only an average price for these add-ons, and says the platform automatically selects a bundled purchase for both legs of the journey as the default option. "Consumers would thus be misled as to the actual price of the service for each leg of the trip and, if they wished to purchase the additional service for only one leg, would have to take steps to override EasyJet's default option by interrupting the online booking process," argues AGCM. This behaviour, it suggests, could violate the Italian consumer code were it to be deemed a deceptive and aggressive commercial practice. AGCM adds that it has launched its investigation because EasyJet did not comply with a previous "moral suasion" warning: a non-binding request from the watchdog giving the airline the opportunity to voluntarily adjust its practices.