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WOW: This man travelled the entire globe in just 52 hours

High flying Etihad Airways Executive Andrew Fisher has taken out the world record for travelling the globe in the fastest time and in the fewest number of flights.

High flying Etihad Airways Executive Andrew Fisher has taken out the world record for travelling the globe in the fastest time and in the fewest number of flights.

The New Zealander who has dreamt of achieving the record for the past two decades, clocked in a flying time of 52 hours and 34 minutes and took only four scheduled commercial flights instead of five.

He beat the previous record by 3 hours and 13 minutes with The Guinness World Records giving it the official tick of approval.

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Andrew who has been with Etihad Airways since 2007, channelled his passion for studying airline route networks and schedules into meticulously charting his journey.

Andrew’s journey covered 41,375 km on scheduled flights operated by Air New Zealand, KLM and China Eastern that took him from Shanghai to Auckland; Buenos Aires to Amsterdam; and back to Shanghai.

Infographic Andrew Fisher - English

“It’s an incredible feeling to have finally achieved my dream,” Etihad Airways Vice President Fleet Planning Andrew Fisher said after touching down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.

“Although I managed only 16 hours of sleep throughout the journey, I still felt fresh, perhaps due to the adrenalin and excitement at completing this unique experience. And it’s a great feeling to be part of a company that encourages and enables its employees to pursue their dreams.”

Etihad Airways Vice President Fleet Planning Andrew Fisher.

Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer Peter Baumgartner said “on behalf of employees across the company, I congratulate Andrew for this remarkable achievement”.

“This feat requires significant commitment, dedication and perseverance – we are extremely proud to have Andrew as a member of our Etihad family,” he said.

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Andrew said the advent of new longer range and fuel-efficient aircraft over the years, allowing airlines  to introduce non-stop long haul flights and add frequencies all helped him smash his record-breaking attempt.

“Planning the trip was a matter of identifying the most suitable qualifying antipodal city pairs and then finding the best routes, schedules and tightest possible connections within the right window of opportunity,” he said.

Take a closer look at his journey below.


Andrew had a few words of encouragement for those pursuing their ambitions.

“Never give up on your dream no matter how unrealistic it might seem to others. Take every opportunity to follow your passion.”

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Would you ever be tempted to try and smash a record like this?