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Longest commercial flight touches down in Auckland
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When the Boeing 777 touched down in Auckland it was welcomed firehoses sprayed by the airport fire and rescue crew, as per international tradition to welcome new flights. (dpa via AP/Felix Kaestle)
On Monday, Qatar Airways’ QR920 flight from Doha to Auckland, New Zealand, became the longest non-stop flight in the world.
Clocking in at around 16.5 hours, this 14,535-kilometer flight eclipsed the previous longest flight, Emirates’ flight from Dubai to Auckland, by 335 kilometers, according to The Guardian. Due to headwinds, the scheduled trip back to Doha from Auckland will last about 18 hours.
When the Boeing 777 touched down in Auckland it was welcomed firehoses sprayed by the airport fire and rescue crew, as per international tradition to welcome new flights.
(Read also: Singapore Airlines to introduce longest non-stop flights to San Francisco)
We’ve officially landed in New Zealand, the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud.’ Kia ora! #AucklandTogether pic.twitter.com/d0BNsWRU9f
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) February 5, 2017
The flight was staffed by four pilots and 15 cabin crew, who served 1,100 cups of tea and coffee, 2,000 cold drinks and 1,036 meals during the flight. The Boeing 777 accommodates 217 passengers in economy and 42 in business class. Monday’s flight was at capacity.
On the flight was Akbar Al Baker, Qatar’s chief executive. When asked whether any rise in fuel prices could affect the route and Qatar’s continuation of it, he said it was a long-term commitment to New Zealand. "We never close a route when we launch. We are not an airline that is only here for good times. We are here for good times and bad times because we serve the people that we operate for,” he stated as quoted by nzherald.co.nz, adding that Auckland rounded off his airline's network in that part of the world.
But Qatar Airways won’t be holding the crown for very long. Singapore Airlines will take back the title of longest flight when its Singapore-New York service returns next year with a distance of 15,344 kilometers and a 19-hour flight time. (sul/kes)
