Global Flight Expansion
Arvind Singh
| 05-02-2024
· Information Team
With the development of society, an increasing number of people choose to travel abroad, and airplanes have become an essential means of transportation for everyone.
Due to differences in destinations, the duration of flights varies greatly—some take only one or two hours, while others may take more than ten hours, with even more time added if layovers are involved. Sometimes, traveling can be quite exhausting.
Various new flight routes are emerging, and the recently launched Auckland-New York non-stop flight by Air New Zealand, with a flight time of 17 hours, has garnered considerable attention. On March 16, 2022, New Zealand announced the opening of its borders.
According to regulations, Australians who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 can enter New Zealand without the need for quarantine starting from April 13, which is much earlier than the initially planned opening in July.
Travelers from countries with visa-free agreements with New Zealand, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Singapore, can also enter following the same procedure starting from May. The introduction of this flight route, which will officially commence on September 17, is set against this background.
The flight operates three times a week, departing from Auckland Airport (AKL) at 7:40 PM. New Zealand time. Passengers from New Zealand will then spend 16 hours on the plane before finally arriving at Kennedy Airport. The return flight from Kennedy Airport to Auckland will take 17 hours and 35 minutes, making it one of the longest flights in the world.
Currently, the world's longest passenger flight is operated by Singapore Airlines, flying from Singapore Changi Airport to New York's Kennedy Airport. The route covers 9,534 miles and includes an approximately 18-hour layover. Additionally, Qantas Airways operates a flight from Perth to London, which resumed in March with an average flight time of 17 hours and 19 minutes.
Before the pandemic, Qantas had plans to launch a direct flight between Sydney and London known as the "Project Sunrise," with a flight time exceeding 19 hours. Unfortunately, it was temporarily suspended due to the pandemic. However, reports indicate that Qantas has announced the commencement of the Melbourne-Dallas route on December 2, with a flight time exceeding 17 hours, making it a member of the "World's Longest Flight" club.
Qantas Airways is set to introduce the world's longest direct commercial flight, operating the Sydney to London route starting by the end of 2025. Qantas has stated that after a five-year planning period, they have ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft for the "Project Sunrise" ultra-long-haul flights to cities like London and New York. The "Project Sunrise" was initiated in 2017 to launch ultra-long-haul flights directly from major Australian cities to other cities worldwide.
With a history of 101 years, Qantas attributes its confidence in significant future investments to the strong recovery of the Australian domestic market and improvements in international flight operations amid the most severe conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Qantas mentioned that the A350-1000 aircraft will feature Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 turbofan engines, providing a 25% higher fuel efficiency compared to the previous generation of aircraft.
"The new aircraft make new things possible," said Alan Joyce, the CEO of Qantas, in a statement. "The Airbus A350 and the 'Project Sunrise' will bring Australia just 'a flight away' from any city."