Saturday, March 5, 2016

Emirates Airbus A380 Completes World’s Longest Commercially Scheduled Flight


Emirates say the record may be short-lived but did the feat just happened because Emirates is taking advantage of current low crude oil prices?

By: Ringo Bones 

Given that crude oil has lost 70-percent of its value since 2014, it is likely that “adventurous” airline companies could now be exploring world record setting feats as a way to attract new customers, but the world’s longest flight recently set by an Emirates Airbus A380 as it flew from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand back in March 2, 2016 to complete what is currently the world’s longest commercially scheduled flight promises more than a one-off taking advantage of the current slump in crude oil prices. The 17 hour 15 minute 14,200-kilometer flight cuts 3 hours off the current route that includes layovers. 

However, the record-setting Dubai to Auckland flight of March 2, 2016 is expected to be short lived because Emirates’ upcoming Dubai to Panama City service will take 17-hours and 35-minutes when it launches later this month. Emirates described it as “one of the longest air routes in the world by distance”. “But with the assistance of clever technology and good planning, passengers will get to their destination in the shortest possible time,” it said. 

The inaugural Dubai-Auckland flight of March 2, 2016 was made by an Emirates Airbus A380 which the double-decker super-jumbo has been in service with the world’s leading airline companies for the past 5-years but the regular service will be carried out – according to Emirates – by their fleet of more fuel-efficient Boeing 777-200LR planes. New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the non-stop service, which cuts three hours off the current Dubai-Auckland travel times, improved New Zealand’s connectivity to the rest of the world. And to anyone wondering, the previously held record as the world’s longest commercially-scheduled flight route was the Qantas 13,800-kilometer Sydney to Dallas route that was launched back in 2014.