World’s longest flight is put to the check

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In journey information this week: the world’s strongest passports, how edible ants obtained a chef in bother, plus a brand new milestone in ultra-long-haul air journey.

Having a pleasant stress-free weekend? Spare a thought for the weary new Airbus A350-1000ULR, which is cooling its jets in Melbourne after finishing its first-ever nonstop check flight from France. And it has to do it another time on Monday.

Clocking in at greater than 19 hours for the Toulouse to Melbourne check, the scheduled routes might stretch as much as 22 hours and greater than 10,000 miles.

The aircraft has been developed to fly the Australian airline Qantas’ upcoming record-breaking route from Sydney to London. It would be the world’s’s longest continuous business flight when it launches in October 2027.

A crew of 4 Airbus flight check pilots and 5 flight check engineers put the plane’s programs via their paces on the flight from Toulouse on Thursday, together with the additional 20,000-liter gasoline tank that holds the juice to maintain it within the air for practically a full day.

CNN’s Richard Quest took a glance contained in the ultra-long-range aircraft final month. Watch the video beneath.

Inside the brand new aircraft made for a 22-hour nonstop flight

Qantas simply revealed the primary ‘Project Sunrise’ plane. It’s a aircraft designed to function the world’s longest continuous business flights, connecting London and New York immediately with Sydney for the primary time. The London to Sydney route will begin in October 2027.

Inside the brand new aircraft made for a 22-hour nonstop flight

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Passports and border checks

In 2006, a United States passport was the final word ticket to the world, providing its residents a stage of seamless international entry matched solely by two different nations: Denmark and Finland.

What a distinction 20 years makes. A brand new report evaluating the journey freedoms of passports around the globe within the twenty first century reveals that the status of the US passport has been in sluggish decline, with 36 international locations now forward of it within the rating.

World’s strongest passports of July 2026

The highest rating passport within the European Union, in line with the Henley Passport Index, is Sweden. The nation’s residents can efficiently bypass the EU’s new Entry Exit System (EES), which suggests non-EU residents arriving within the 29-country Schengen zone should now have their biometrics taken. The new system has led to frame management bottlenecks in some airports, nevertheless it’s simply certainly one of a number of difficult elements to navigate in what’s a troublesome summer time for European journey. (CNN subscribers can learn the full story right here).

There’s one itty bitty European border that simply obtained simpler to cross, nonetheless. The bodily border fence between the southern tip of Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar was eliminated earlier this month, beneath a historic treaty between the EU and the UK.

The contested British abroad territory of 38,000 individuals is perched on the tip of the Iberian Peninsula, in a strategic location simply miles throughout the water from Morocco.

Wilderness, wildlife and ‘wow’ issue

America’s Best Towns to Visit 2026: Juneau

Continuing our countdown of America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2026, we now have Juneau, Alaska, at No.7.

Alaska’s distant, hard-to-reach capital is the biggest state capital within the nation by land mass and there certain is lots to like. For starters, Juneau is situated in a rainforest, it has its personal glacier and its residents embrace bears, mountain goats and whales.

Of Juneau’s greater than 1.5 million annual guests, greater than 90% arrive by cruise ship. But there’s loads of room and actions for everybody, even through the busy summers.

Take a glance, too, at Roanoke, Virginia, at No. 10, Lawrence, Kansas, at No. 9 and Iowa City, Iowa at No.8.

Canada’s Spotted Lake is a geological marvel

This lake, situated simply outdoors of Osoyoos in British Columbia, has distinctive, colourful spots which can be created by a mix of its chemistry, geology and local weather.

Canada’s Spotted Lake is a geological marvel

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The geological marvel Spotted Lake, or Lake Khiluk within the Nsyilxcən language, is situated simply outdoors Osoyoos, British Columbia. Its distinctive, colourful spots are created by a mix of chemistry, geology and local weather.

They felt a deep connection on a aircraft.

A 12 months later, he obtained again in contact in an sudden approach. (For CNN subscribers solely).

Airline passengers hate middle seats.

But that’s not why United is eliminating a few of them.

A tropical storm. A pricey conflict. A blockbuster movie.

What do you keep in mind from the week that was?

His restaurant put edible ants on the menu.

Now he might face one 12 months in jail.