Lifestyle

This Johannesburg flight is one of the longest in the world

Staff Writer

 ·4 Feb 2018

Historically costly long-distance flights are experiencing a resurgence thanks to new generation plane technology and more affordable fuel.

According a new report released by Business Insider and airline intelligence company OAG, due to high costs, long-haul flights were at risk of becoming irrelevant in modern airspace – but new data shows that there has been a steady resurgence in these flights in recent years.

This can be attributed to the availability of affordable oil and a new generation of fuel-efficient airliners like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350, the groups said.

“In addition, the change in consumer preference in favor of non-stop point-to-point flying has helped drive this revival,” they said.

OAG found that the longest commercial flight in 2018 is being flown by Qatar Airways on its Auckland to Doha trip at 14,525 kilometres.

According to the data, flying this route from west to east will take 16 hours and 20 minutes, while flying from New Zealand to Qatar will take 17 hours and 30 minutes due to increased headwinds.

Qantas boasts the second-longest flight with its trip from Perth, Australia to London, England (14,499 kilometres), while Emirates has the third longest flight with its trip from Auckland, New Zealand to Dubai in the UAE (14,194 kilometres).

Notably, a South African flight is featured eighth on the list, with the Delta Airlines trip from Atlanta, Georgia to Johannesburg, South Africa covering 13,573 kilometres. According to Delta’s website the trip will take 15 hours and 15 minutes travelling non-stop.

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