In an effort to steer clear of Russian airspace and avoid the path over the Pacific, Cathay Pacific says its transatlantic flight path would now cover just under 9,000 nautical miles — equivalent to 10,357 standard miles or 16,668 kilometers.
If implemented, it would exceed the current world’s longest flight for distance, which is 9,534 standard miles between Singapore and New York.
Affirming that its rerouting was down to favorable wind conditions, a representative for the airline told CNN in a statement: “We are always running contingency routings for potential events or scenarios within the world of aviation.”
“We compare flight routes daily, and will plan and fly what is the most efficient routing on the day.”
“The transatlantic option relies on the facilitation of strong seasonal tailwinds at this time of the year in order for the flight time to be between 16 and 17 hours, thereby making it more favorable than the transpacific route. We are monitoring the tailwinds situation on a daily basis as it is already tapering off.
“Our Airbus A350-1000 aircraft can comfortably accomplish this in 16 to 17 hours with similar fuel consumption to the transpacific flights.”
Currently, the longest flight record holder is the Singapore Airlines direct flight between Changi Airport and JFK.
