Emirates announces world's longest non-stop flight

Dubai - Operations to Panama City will begin with a 17 hours and 35 minutes long daily flight operating in a 3-class layout.

Undeterred by ongoing aviation row with US airlines, Emirates on Thursday announced plans to spread its wings to central America with a maiden flight to Panama City from February next year.
The new service - 17 hours and 35 minutes in the westbound direction - will be the longest non-stop flight in the world and will connect Emirates passengers to Latin America, South America and beyond.
The new flight will exceed Emirates' existing longest non-stop routes - Dubai to Los Angeles at 16 hours and 35 minutes, and Dubai-Houston at 16 hours and 20 minutes - in terms of regular commercial service by distance.  
Emirates' non-stop service for its first gateway destination in Central America will also supersede the Dallas/Forts Worth-Sydney service - at 16 hours and 55 minutes - that was launched by its codeshare partner Qantas on September 29, 2014.
Singapore Airlines previously operated an even longer flight connecting the city-state to Newark, New Jersey, but scrapped it in 2013.
Delta Air Lines' Johannesburg-Atlanta flight (16 hours and 40 minutes), and Etihad Airways' Abu Dhabi-Los Angeles (16 hours and 30 minutes) and Abu Dhabi-San Francisco (16 hours and 15 minutes) services are among the other longest regularly-scheduled non-stop commercial flights by distance.
"Panama City will be our first destination gateway in Central America, providing a convenient option for our passengers travelling from or through our global hub in Dubai and onward to destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean and the northern part of South America," said Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Emirates airline and Chief Executive of the Emirates Group.
The service to Panama City - Panama's capital and largest city by population - will commence with a daily flight operated by a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft in a three-class layout - eight in first, 42 in business and 216 in economy. The aircraft can carry up to 15 tonnes of cargo.
"We're also pleased to be the only commercial airline to offer a daily, first class service to travellers on what will be the world's longest non-stop flight," Shaikh Ahmed added.
Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research, told Khaleej Times: "With the launch of the service to Panama City, Emirates has carved a path to a key gateway that is strategically and ideally located for passengers to make good connections to North and Latin America as well as to regional neighbours such as Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Nicaragua."
"With a 17-hour, 35-minute flight, proposed as the longest in the world, deploying the world's longest-ranged aeroplane - 777-200LR - not only gives Emirates a low-cost machine that offers its three-class award-winning cabins, but that the cargo uplift available with the aircraft will enable the airline to hone in on freight business too," he said.
"Emirates has clearly identified that it offers massive high-yield potential and the lack of direct services to Central America from the GCC means that they'll have the spoils of this successful route for a considerable time until someone else emulates Emirates' move."
A key destination
Panama City is an economic and financial centre of the country with the major industries being international banking, commerce, and tourism. Ideally located between North and South America, as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the city has developed an unrivalled transportation and communication network.
"It is gratifying to see how diplomatic efforts focused on generating development and prosperity for Panama materialise," said Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice-President of the Republic of Panama. "New doors to the country will open with a direct connection to the Middle East - a strong and thriving region with great synergies to both Panama and Latin America."
Eduardo Fonseca Ward, Consul-General of the Republic of Panama in Dubai, said: "This link will generate a broader global network with countless commercial and cultural opportunities for the two regions."
Ahmad said this extremely long route at 8,589 miles is primed for the Boeing 777-8x aircraft for which Emirates has already placed a huge 150-aircraft order worth $76 billion. "While the 777-8x is still several years away, but its extreme range capability above and beyond the 777-200LR will allow Emirates to fly it on this route much more efficiently and also with more cargo payload too," he said.
- muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com