Will this be the longest passenger flight in the world?
Reel deal ... could you watch 18.5 hours of in-flight entertainment? Image: REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
Emirates has completed what is believed to be currently the world's longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight. The airline's Airbus A380 covered 14,200km (8,824 miles) from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand, according to industry website airwaysnews.com, beating Qantas’ 13,805km (8,588 miles) Sydney-Dallas route launched in 2014.
It said the route was also the longest in duration, with the return leg from Auckland to Dubai set to last 17 hours 15 minutes. However, Emirates' new service linking Dubai and Panama City, scheduled for its maiden voyage later this month, will take even longer – 17 hours 35 minutes and covering 13,821km (8,588 miles).
Qatar Airways, meanwhile, has proposed a new route for the airline that would link the capital, Doha, with Auckland, which lies 14,529km (9,028 miles) away. The journey would take 18 hours and 34 minutes. That's enough time to watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy (filmed in New Zealand), twice.
Even if the proposed flight goes into service, it would still not not be the longest passenger flight ever. That crown belongs to Singapore Airline's flight 21, which travelled the 15,329km (9,525 miles) between New York and Singapore in just under 19 hours. Though discontinued in 2013, there are reports that the trip, which included a hop over the Arctic circle, might be making a comeback as soon as 2018.
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