LONDON : A Boeing 777 plane has broken the world record for the
longest flight by a commercial jet when it landed at London's
Heathrow airport on a flight from Hong Kong via the Pacific.
Piloted by American captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, the Worldliner
jet touched down in west London following a 12,000-mile (20,100
kilometers) easterly-heading flight from Hong Kong, Boeing said
Thursday.
The flight lasted 22 hours and 45 minutes after touching down at
1315 GMT, 15 minutes ahead of schedule.
The plane, carrying 35 passengers, beat the existing non-stop
passenger airline record of 10,823 miles achieved by another Boeing
airliner.
After taking off from Hong Kong yesterday, the plane flew over the
northern Pacific and then over the northern part of the United
States before crossing the Atlantic towards Heathrow.
Boeing, locked in a bitter battle with European rival Airbus for
the lucrative long-haul aviation market, said a demonstration model
of the new 777-200LR had headed east rather than the usual western
route over Russia.
The plane, powered by General Electric aircraft engines, took off
with a full load of fuel and carrying airline executives,
journalists and paying clients as well as crew members.
The current record for a commercial jetliner flight was set in 1989
by a Boeing 747-400 that flew 17,000 kilometres non-stop from
London to Sydney.
Boeing hurled a challenge at Airbus in February by rolling out its
first 777-200LR, which it claims is the longest-range commercial
aircraft in the world.
Lars Andersen, vice president in charge of the 777 program at
Boeing Commercial Airplanes, has said that the Worldliner can
connect any two cities.
It extends the range of the twin-engined 777 family by more than
2,750 kilometres and would allow non-stop service between New York
and Singapore, Los Angeles and Dubai, or Australia and New York, he
said.
The Worldliner will be able to carry 301 passengers and 17 tonnes
of cargo up to 17,450 kilometers, the company said.
The first Worldliner is expected to go into service after being
delivered to Pakistan International Airlines in January 2006.
Boeing said it has so far received orders or commitments for five
planes, including from Qatar Airways and Air India. It expects the
plane to draw more interest from Asia. - AFP /dt
