If you hate long distance travels, this one ain’t for you! Qatar Airways has just completed the first of what is the world’s longest flight, spanning from Qatar’s Doha to New Zealand’s Auckland on a nonstop journey of 16 hours and 20 minutes on the Boeing 777-200LR.
The flight touched down early Monday, with its passengers documenting the historic flight on the social media. The plane soared through a distance of 14,535 kilometers (9,032 miles), taking over the previously held record by Qatar’s rival Emirates. To top off the misery, Qatar Airway’s return trip is even longer, timing in at 17 hours and 30 minutes, being slower due to the headwinds.
The landmark inaugural flight was marked with the passengers getting special cupcakes and those in the business class scoring a “Kiwi Rose mocktail” to sip on.
The inaugural @qatarairways Doha to Auckland service, the longest non-stop commercial flight, starts the 16hr 30min trip to New Zealand pic.twitter.com/m7t6c2kvl0
— Craig West (@mrcawest) February 5, 2017
The long flight needs plenty of fuel.
About to take off. 138 t of fuel on board pic.twitter.com/vqhLwbmdja
— Richard Quest (@richardquest) February 5, 2017
Flight time 15:40 with strong tail wind. Distance 9100 miles
— Richard Quest (@richardquest) February 5, 2017
After 16 hours in the air, the passengers exhaled a sigh of relief.
Perfect summer day here. Thank you crew of QR920 @qatarairways pic.twitter.com/D6pSfw3sDI
— Richard Quest (@richardquest) February 6, 2017
The plane also received a traditional water salute from the Auckland Airport’s fire teams.
Just previously, another world record was made by Air India’s flight from Delhi to San Francisco that was 15,300 kilometers (9,506 miles) long and was also completed in record time.
The direct distance from Delhi to San Francisco racks up 12,343 kilometers (7,670 miles), while Doha to Auckland makes it 14,528 kilometers (9,027 miles), thus the “record.”
Qatar Airways, redefining the word “jet legged”!