A specially modified Airbus A350 has made history, touching down in Melbourne on Friday morning, completing a near-17,000km journey from France to Australia as Qantas edges closer to making ultra-long-haul flights a reality.

The aircraft, part of the airline’s ambitious Project Sunrise program, carried no regular passengers. Instead, its cabin was transformed into a flying laboratory, packed with five tonnes of testing equipment and 1,000 sensors linked by kilometres of cabling to monitor the aircraft’s performance throughout the journey.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Qantas Project Sunrise makes historic landing in Melbourne

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On board are just four test pilots and five engineers, all tasked with collecting critical data as the aircraft made its first-ever landing on Australian soil.

The historic ultra-long-haul flight has just touched down in Melbourne. Credit: 7NEWS

Qantas Chief Technical Pilot Alex Passerini told Sunrise seeing the aircraft arrive was a major milestone after years of planning.

“Nothing beats seeing a physical aeroplane after alot of talk and excitement... smelling the jetfuel, it’s just palabale,” he said.

While it looks similar to other Qantas aircraft, the Airbus A350 has undergone several key modifications, including the installation of an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank designed to support the airline’s planned non-stop flights between Australia and Europe.

Passerini said the current flight is focused on validating those changes before the airline officially takes delivery of the aircraft.

“What the Airbus engineers need to do is check those changes are fit for purpose so when the aeroplane does end up departing they’ve got a 23-hour flight to check those systems for the projected Sunrise flight time, plus an additional safety margin,” he said.

He said the testing forms part of the standard certification process required before the aircraft can enter service.

While the aircraft itself is being put through its paces, there is also a strong focus on the people who will operate the world’s longest commercial flights.

Managing fatigue for pilots and cabin crew has been central to the aircraft’s design, with dedicated crew rest areas, data-driven fatigue management systems and planned recovery periods before and after flights all forming part of the operation.

Passengers are also expected to benefit from an improved onboard environment, with the aircraft featuring increased cabin humidity, higher oxygen levels and enhanced air filtration to help reduce the physical impacts of spending almost an entire day in the air.

The specially modified Airbus A350 became the world’s most-tracked aircraft on Friday morning as aviation enthusiasts followed its historic journey.

If Project Sunrise proceeds as planned, the aircraft will eventually operate non-stop flights lasting up to 23 hours, connecting Australia directly with destinations in Europe and North America.