(CNN) – Kathy Pacific is going to operate the world’s longest commercial flight by redirecting its regular service from her hometown of Hong Kong to New York on the Atlantic – a route that will depart from Russian airspace – Pacific instead of its usual route.
Although it has yet to show full commitment to the route, Cath says its transatlantic flight path will cover just under 9,000 nautical miles – the equivalent of 10,357 standard miles or 16,668 kilometers. If confirmed, it would exceed the current world’s longest flight for the distance, which is 9,534 standard miles between Singapore and New York.
While many airlines have avoided Russian airspace following the country’s invasion of Ukraine – due to multiple reciprocal air blockades – Cathy said her route was in favorable wind conditions.
“We always run contingency routing for potential events or scenarios in the world of aviation,” the airline’s representative told CNN in a statement. “We compare flight routes every day, and fly by planning what is the most efficient routing that day.”
“The Transatlantic option relies on strong seasonal tailwinds at this time of year to facilitate flight times between 16 and 17 hours, making it more convenient than the transpacific route. We are monitoring the condition of the tailwind on a daily basis because it is already there. Decreases.
“Our Airbus A350-1000 aircraft can accomplish this comfortably in 16 to 17 hours with the same fuel consumption as transpacific flights.”
He is not the only new contender for the longest flight in the world. As air travel around the world resumes, more and more long-haul flights are unveiled in 2022.
Top Image Credits: Nicholas Economo / NourPhoto by Getty Images
CNN’s Lizzie Yee contributed to the reporting.
