Air India may take the title of ‘world longest non-stop flight’ away from Emirates before the Dubai-based carrier can even officially claim it in February next year.
The Delhi-based airline has proposed a new flight route between Bengaluru and San Francisco that would see the airline travel 14,000km without stopping.
If approved by regulatory groups, the 17 to 18 hour service would be the longest non-stop commercial route in the world, taking out current title holder Qantas and forthcoming record breaker Emirates.
Australia’s Flying Kangaroo has held the title of ‘world’s longest commercial non-stop service’ since 2011 when it launched flight between Sydney and Dallas.
The service sees travellers fly 13,804 kilometres or 17 hours without a break.
Emirates revealed in August this year it planned on pinching the title early next year when it launches direct flights from Dubai to Panama City.
As well as being the carrier’s first destination in Central America, the service would also surpass Qantas’ record by 17 kilometres.
However, the marathon route doesn’t top what Air India has planned, which would be 179 kilometres longer than Emirates’ flights.
If approved, the service aboard Air India’s Boeing 777-200 aircraft would have an estimated travel time of between 17 to 18 hours.
India’s Prime Minister is expected to make the official announcement this week during a trip to the US.
Meanwhile, Air India is also reportedly planning new direct services between Ahmedabad and London to meet ‘huge demand’.
Earlier this year, the Delhi-based carrier tweaked its Australian operations, replacing its Delhi-Sydney-Melbourne triangular flight with four times weekly direct services to Sydney and three times weekly operations to Melbourne. Read on
