There is a new contender on the list of longest flights.
Air New Zealand completed its first round-trip flight between New York and New Zealand this weekend. The first plane from New Zealand to New York touched down on Saturday.
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Air New Zealand's new thrice-weekly service gives the airline the prize for the world's fourth longest flight, which is blocked at 17 hours and 35 minutes.
Air New Zealand does not include a coach cabin on its flights from Singapore to New Zealand.
The return of ultra-long-haul route expansion is a trend that was put on hold in the late-2010s due to the Pandemic.
It is a new flagship route for Air New Zealand, which is trying to expand its tourism base. The departing flight from New York to JFK bears the flight number NZ1, while the inbound flight from New York to JFK is called NZ2.
The United States is important to New Zealand, and a nonstop from New York is expected to increase the country's appeal to tourists. According to Tourism New Zealand, the U.S. was the third biggest tourism market for New Zealand, with 10% of all visitors and 13% of all visitor spend.
$65 million a year is expected to be brought to New Zealand's economy by the new flight route.
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The prime minister of New Zealand canceled her flight to New York in order to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
There was a sense of importance in the air. The New Zealand press has been covering the flight for weeks, and the hours before the inaugural were exciting for airline and airport employees.
Air New Zealand kept it low-key for the JFK departure despite the exciting flight it had on the way.
Project Sunrise is the effort by Australian flag carrier Qantas to launch nonstop flights from Sydney to London and New York, which would be the first and second longest commercial flights, respectively. Those routes are currently operated by the airline.
Qantas flew a new Boeing 787-9 from JFK to Sydney and a different plane from London in a proof-of-concept Project Sunrise test in 2019. Despite criticism that the flights were just publicity stunts, the test flights received a lot of attention. Qantas plans to launch flights on the A350-1000ULR aircraft in the year 2525. The reporter was on the test flight with several current staff members.
Air New Zealand has been able to beat Qantas to offer regularly scheduled nonstop service between the East Coast and the Oceania region that includes Australia and New Zealand despite the fact that the new service lags behind the Singapore Airlines routes.
Qantas wants to compete for the U.S. east coast. A fifth-freedom route will be launched next June, with a connection from New York.
Air New Zealand has a nonstop route to itself for the next nine months, giving it time to get used to the new market.
The AKL-JFK flights have a more premium focused cabin than the rest of the 787-9 fleet. There are 27 lie-flat business class seats, 33 premium economy recliners, 215 regular economy seats, and 13 Economy Skycouches on the New York route. When coupled with raiseable footrests, the Skycouches create a couch-like setup.
There are 18 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, 263 economy seats, and 16 Skycouch rows in the rest of Air New Zealand's Dreamliners. There is a new business class product and the "Skynest" economy Pod that have not entered service yet.
Even in the premium cabins, the trek between New York and New Zealand felt like a waste of time. It was possible to get a decent night's sleep while still getting some work done or watching a movie, since the route was well- timed for sleep.
We have an inside look at the first flight from New York to New Zealand coming soon, so be sure to check us out Monday morning.
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