From 1943 to 1945 Qantas operated a weekly Consolidated PBY Catalina 5,650-kilometre (3,050 nmi) return flight from Western Australia to then Ceylon with average flight times of 27 h, the Double Sunrise service. On 1–2 October 1957 a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1649 Starliner flew the inaugural 8,640-kilometre (4,670 nmi) London–San Francisco polar route in 23 h 19 min. The L-1649A was the last of the Constellation series, and the ultimate piston-engine airliner in terms of range and endurance.
In June 1961 El Al established a new record for the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight at 9,270 kilometres (5,010 nmi) from New York to Tel Aviv with a Boeing 707 flown in 9 hours 33 minutes, after trying a Bristol Britannia in December 1957. In August 1967, Aerolineas Argentinas established their non-stop Boeing 707 service on 10,062 kilometres (5,433 nmi) between Madrid and Buenos Aires with a flight time of 12 h.
It was the longest scheduled flight by distance until the Boeing 747SP entered service in 1976: In April, Pan Am set a new record for longest non-stop scheduled flight with its 10,854-kilometre (5,861 nmi) New York–Tokyo route and in December the airline set another record with Sydney–San Francisco, covering 11,937 kilometres (6,445 nmi). In May 1988 El Al introduced its long-haul passenger flight from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles, completing its 12,189-kilometre (6,582 nmi) journey in 13 h 41 min.
Singapore Airlines introduced on 3 February 2004 a 14,113-kilometre (7,620 nmi) flight from Singapore to Los Angeles, scheduled for 16 h 30 min in summer and 15 h 35 min in winter ; 17 h 20 min in summer and 18 h 5 min in winter on the return trip. Then on 28 June 2004 began Flight SQ21 from Newark to Singapore following a 15,344-kilometre (8,285 nmi) great circle route within 130 kilometres (70 nmi) of the Geographic North Pole in a little more than 18 hours, while its return flight, flight 22, was a 16,600 km route over Asia and Alaska.[citation needed]
The cabin was laid out with an all-business class one hundred 36 inches wide seats, twice the width of a standard plane seat. Revenue wasn't high enough to sustain the service and these routes were cancelled in October and November 2013, respectively, after Airbus agreed to buy back the carrier's five Airbus A340-500.
In June 1961 El Al established a new record for the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight at 9,270 kilometres (5,010 nmi) from New York to Tel Aviv with a Boeing 707 flown in 9 hours 33 minutes, after trying a Bristol Britannia in December 1957. In August 1967, Aerolineas Argentinas established their non-stop Boeing 707 service on 10,062 kilometres (5,433 nmi) between Madrid and Buenos Aires with a flight time of 12 h.
It was the longest scheduled flight by distance until the Boeing 747SP entered service in 1976: In April, Pan Am set a new record for longest non-stop scheduled flight with its 10,854-kilometre (5,861 nmi) New York–Tokyo route and in December the airline set another record with Sydney–San Francisco, covering 11,937 kilometres (6,445 nmi). In May 1988 El Al introduced its long-haul passenger flight from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles, completing its 12,189-kilometre (6,582 nmi) journey in 13 h 41 min.
Singapore Airlines introduced on 3 February 2004 a 14,113-kilometre (7,620 nmi) flight from Singapore to Los Angeles, scheduled for 16 h 30 min in summer and 15 h 35 min in winter ; 17 h 20 min in summer and 18 h 5 min in winter on the return trip. Then on 28 June 2004 began Flight SQ21 from Newark to Singapore following a 15,344-kilometre (8,285 nmi) great circle route within 130 kilometres (70 nmi) of the Geographic North Pole in a little more than 18 hours, while its return flight, flight 22, was a 16,600 km route over Asia and Alaska.[citation needed]
The cabin was laid out with an all-business class one hundred 36 inches wide seats, twice the width of a standard plane seat. Revenue wasn't high enough to sustain the service and these routes were cancelled in October and November 2013, respectively, after Airbus agreed to buy back the carrier's five Airbus A340-500.
No comments:
Post a Comment