Air India proposes longest nonstop flight at 18 hours
Call it a case of one-upmanship in the skies.
The distance between the two cities: about 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles). Time: about 18 hours.
Because, really, why endure the hassle of changing planes when you can set up housekeeping in a 209-foot-long aluminum tube for 18 hours?
In addition to Bangalore, Air India is considering Delhi as a destination city for the new route, the Times reported.
Right now, the world’s longest nonstop is Qantas Flight 8, from Dallas-Fort Worth to Sydney, Australia. Time: About 16 hours.
In it for the long haul
If you think you’re seeing a trend, you’re right.
New ultra-efficient jet engines and improved lightweight materials are saving fuel and maximizing the distances aircraft can travel without stopping.
It’s amazing to think about.
In less than a day, we can see friends who live halfway around the globe.
The Times of India quoted a senior Air India official who said its new route would be flown by an efficient, twin-engine Boeing 777-200.
Fuel-guzzling airliners can kill an ultralonghaul route with expenses, as the four-engine Airbus A340 did to Singapore Airlines’ 19-hour run between Newark, New Jersey and Singapore back in 2013.
A new generation of twin-engine airliners — including Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350XWB — is now opening new ultralong routes around the world.
