Cathay Pacific's will soon make the longest commercial flight in the world, rerouting its scheduled flights from Hong Kong to New York across the Atlantic instead of following its usual route over the Pacific. At the same time, Russian airspace will not be involved.
The new Cathay transatlantic route is 16,668 kilometers long. This is more than the current record holder — flight between Singapore and New York, which is 15 343 kilometers.
Interestingly, Cathay Pacific cited “favourable wind direction” rather than political turbulence in Europe as the main reason for the rerouting. It is the wind that makes the flight across the European continent the most efficient. “The transatlantic option is based on the advantage of a strong seasonal tailwind at this time of the year. The flight duration is from 16 to 17 hours, which makes it more profitable than the route across the Pacific Ocean.
The newest Airbus A350-1000 is able to fly many hours in comfort and with the same fuel consumption
Note that Cathay, unlike other airlines, can theoretically fly over Russian territory, because China and Russia are in good diplomatic relations.
Flight from Hong Kong to New York is not the only new contender for the longest flight in the world.
Last week, two new announcements were made for new ultra-long-haul flights. A 17-hour non-stop Air New Zealand flight between Auckland and New York Kennedy Airport will take place in September 2022, while Qantas' direct flight from Melbourne to Dallas — in December.
Currently, Singapore Airlines' direct flight between Changi and Kennedy airports holds the record for the longest flight. The flight on Airbus A350-900URL lasts more than 17 hours.