The world’s longest flight: then and now

Many things on the world’s longest flight have changed since it was last operated by Singapore Airlines in 2013 but there are some that remain the same.

The flight numbers remain SQ21 and SQ22 for the ultra long-haul Singapore-New York flights that will re-launch on October are the same as flights that started more than a decade ago in 2004.

Changi and Newark’s airports remain the endpoints of the new service and it is still flown by Airbus aircraft.

SEE our “Future of Flying” special section

And the distance of 15,700 or 16,600 kilometers (depending on direction and routing) between the two points is still harrowingly vast.

It means a journey of a little over 18 hours an average – and not 19 as currently often touted in promotional material and media.

But almost everything else has changed in the five-year period during which Singapore and New York were only linked by, at best, one-stop flights.

In 2013, the economics stopped working as rising fuel costs hit the fuel-guzzling four-engine A340-500s plying the route particularly hard.

It’s a very different case for the new twin-engine Airbus A350-900ULR, ordered by Singapore Airlines for the route.

These will re-start US non-stop services beyond the Singapore-San Francisco route already flown by regular A350-900s. First comes the re-launch of New York, followed by Los Angeles.

Impressions from a non-stop flight from Newark to Singapore the author took in 2004 provide an interesting context to compare the old and the new ULR flights between both cities.

Whereas the A340-500 burned eight tons per hour the A350-900ULR only consumes a mere 5.8 tons per hour.

The actual route — both then and now —is determined every day by the airline’s operations center in Singapore and based on current and forecast weather data.

Fourteen years ago, at the introduction of ultra-long-haul routes, the five SIA A340-500s boasted an exclusive, enhanced “Executive Economy” cabin, similar to today’s Premium Economy offered on all of SIA’s long-haul flights.

The A340-500 cabin originally offered two classes for a total of 181 passengers, while the aircraft had a capacity for up to 313 travelers. A maximum of 64 passengers could travel in Business Class, where the seats in a 1-2-1 configuration could be made into flat beds, slightly angled at the time.

In Executive Economy, up to 113 passengers could be seated with a generous pitch of 93cms. In the very back of the cabin was a stand-up bar for Economy customers offering snacks and water.

Later, as the operation became less and less viable, SIA converted the aircraft into a 100-seat all-Business configuration. Even that didn’t turn things around during further fuel price hikes.

Today’s A350-900ULR again offers two classes, the number of Business seats (67) has only slightly changed, while standards in Premium Economy have risen so much that just 94 seats are installed in a 2-4-2 configuration offering 38’’ (96.5 cm) of pitch.

With flight durations of over 18 hours, in-flight entertainment (IFE) becomes particularly important. And here SIA has made another quantum leap.

In 2004 the A340-500 had around 400 different audio and video programmes available. Today, the A350s offer 1,000 hours of content, which are topped up by another 200 extra hours for the ultra-long flights.

Why flying can beat driving in terms of fuel efficiency

Steve Creedy

Get on a plane and chances are you’ll be using less fuel than when you drive your car thanks to efforts by the aviation industry to become more efficient.

Modern planes such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 are about 20 percent more fuel efficient than the planes they are replacing and there are now enough technologically-advanced aircraft taking to the skies to be making a difference.

Newer aircraft families such as the Airbus A320neos, Boeing 737 MAXs, Boeing 787s and A350s now boast per-seat fuel burns of between 2 and 3 litres per 100km.

On a full aircraft — something no longer uncommon with passengers loads hitting record levels — the fuel burn per passenger is also in this range.

READ Packed planes the new normal as airlines fill seats.

Of course, few airlines have an all-new fleet and many operate a mix that includes older, more fuel-hungry planes.

In a real world example, Europe’s giant Lufthansa Group announced earlier this year that the aircraft in its passenger fleet had set a new fuel efficiency record of 3.68 litres to transport a passenger 100 kilometres.

That was down from 3.85 litres per 100 passenger kilometres in 2016 and is about half what my modest Kia Cerato tells me I average when I drive alone.

It’s also less than the 4.2l/100km Toyota claims it gets from its latest Camry Ascent hybrid.

There are all sorts of factors that change this balance, including the number of passengers in the car, but it underscores the strides the aviation industry has made in recent decades.

This isn’t all about the environment: more efficient planes cost less to run, particularly when fossil fuel prices are rising like they are now.

Jetliners are now about 82 percent more efficient on a per-seat basis than they were during the days of the Comet 4 at the start of the jet age.

Fuel IATA efficiency aviation — Source: AirlineRatings

And manufacturers continue to tweak aircraft and engines to improve fuel consumption.

But airlines and other aviation industry players realized 10 years ago that improved aircraft alone would not be enough to give them the carbon-neutral growth they seek.

In 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis and a spike in oil prices, industry leaders signed a world-first global declaration committing to a four-pillar action plan to reduce carbon emissions and achieve carbon-neutral growth.

This included investment in new technology such as advanced aircraft and biofuels as well as continuous improvements in operations.

There was also better use of infrastructure and a single global market-based measure.

“That was a daring goal,’’ International Air Transport Association director general told a sustainable aviation summit in Geneva this week.

“But with hard work and solid commitment of industry and government, carbon-neutral growth from 2020 will be a reality”

In 2009, IATA set the bar even higher with a goal to cut the industry’s net emissions to half of 2005 levels by 2050.

De Juniac noted the Industry was already looking beyond 2020 and identified its immediate priority as implementing a global carbon offset scheme aimed at facilitating carbon-neutral growth from 2020.

The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was endorsed by the International Civil Aviation organization in 2016 but will initially be voluntary.

“Persuading more states to volunteer for CORSIA is important, de Juniac said.

“In tandem, we are working with governments to prevent actions that undermine the agreement, such as the unilateral implementation of environmental taxes.

“The ICAO Assembly next year provides an opportunity for governments to reaffirm CORSIA as the single global measure for aviation climate mitigation. It’s a top priority for CORSIA to be effective.”

In the longer term, de Juniac said the 50 per cent reduction in 2005 carbon emissions by 2050 would be an even greater challenge.

He predicted progress in technology, operations and infrastructure — especially air traffic management — would match the fuel efficiency achievements of the past decade.

“We will not move forward on a consistent glide path, but we are on the right trajectory,’’ he said. “The industry is ready for the next step-change in technology in the 2030s: hybrid and electric planes, and the large-scale roll-out of sustainable fuels.”

Fuel issues prompt United 787 Mayday.

Steve Creedy

United 787-9 Factory Rollout - April 8, 2014 — A United Boeing 787-9. Photo: United.

A “fuel Mayday” from a United Airlines Boeing 787 landing in Sydney from Los Angeles sparked what may be the world’s shortest road closure as part of an emergency response on Thursday.

The captain of an aircraft is required to declare a fuel Mayday if fuel falls below the reserve level an aircraft is required to have when it reaches its destination, often about 45 minutes.

The procedure is designed to alert air traffic controllers to the fuel shortage and allow them to give the plane landing priority.

READ UNITED to debut 787-10 on enhanced transcon routes.

It does not mean an aircraft is running out of fuel and, in this case, it is understood the 787 still had 39 minutes of fuel remaining.

The Mayday shortly after 6am meant fire and medical crews were placed on standby while New South Wales police closed roads in the busy airport precinct as part of “a full emergency response”.

They were re-opened just three minutes later.

“The NSWPF traffic control plan was activated at 6.36am, with some major roads surrounding the airport being closed as a precaution,” police said.

“The plane landed safely without incident and the roads re-opened at 6.39am.”

An Airservices Australia spokeswoman said the pilots were following procedures and the aircraft had not been in any danger.

The aircraft taxied to the gate and passengers disembarked normally.

United said the flight landed at Sydney International Airport “following a mechanical issue”.

A United Boeing 777 bound for San Francisco had to return to Honolulu in 2016 because of fuel “overburn” caused by strong headwinds.

Flight 724 was forced to turn around two hours into its flight because the aircraft did not have enough fuel to make it to San Francisco.

Film buffs there are 1000 movies on Emirates

Geoffrey Thomas

For those who love films – and who doesn’t, – it would take you 119 trips on the world’s longest A380 flight from Dubai to Auckland to complete Emirates’ film catalog.

And these 1000 movies are in addition to TV box sets and music giving customers over 3,500 channels of on-demand entertainment.

The expanded film catalog offers over 2,000 hours of entertainment that would take 119 trips on the world’s longest A380 flight from Dubai to Auckland to get through says Emirates.

See our video “Dispelling the myths of flying”

It is available on 80 aircraft and includes more than 500 Hollywood hits and 600 world movies to cater to Emirates’ diverse and global customer base.

And the films come in 44 languages.

“Travelling on Emirates has always been centered on an unmatched customer experience. We’re proud to offer the greatest entertainment choice ever seen in the sky, with probably more choices than most people have at home! We want to create a better-than-home experience when you fly Emirates, with the latest and best movies, great TV and a huge music selection,” said Patrick Brannelly, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President, Customer Experience (IFEC).

And each month over 100 movies is added to the system with selections ranging from all-time classics like 1939’s The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind to 2018 blockbusters Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Ocean’s 8.

The airline has a major focus on its youngest travelers with a large selection of children’s movies and TV channels.

In addition to over 75 Disney, Marvel, and children’s movies there are also over 50 TV channels, including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, CBeebies & the Disney Channel.

Emirates was the first airline in the world to offer in-seat TV screens in all classes in 1992.

Today, Emirates offers the industry’s largest in-seat screens in all classes at up to 13.3 inches wide in Economy Class, 23 inches wide in Business Class and 32 inches in First Class.

And over 170 aircraft are equipped with live TV featuring sports events.

The world’s longest nonstop commercial aircraft flight was a blast

Geoffrey Thomas

The world’s longest nonstop flight was a night and a day and a night to remember and a real blast.

As Singapore Airlines counts down to the relaunch of its Singapore to New York nonstop service with the Airbus A350-900ULR Airlineratings.com recounts some of the great long-range flights such as the 2005 world record flight of the Boeing 777-200LR.

I was aboard the 777‑200LR for its record-breaking flight from Hong Kong to London – the wrong way – on November 9‑10, 2005.

See our video Dispelling the myths of flying.

Boeing wanted to prove the long-range capabilities of the 777‑200LR.

Helping the 35 passengers, made up of flight and technical crew, Boeing executives and a handful of media to create history was a fuel load of 164 tonnes.

Boeing had fitted out its 777‑ 200LR demonstrator with a luxury interior, complete with a reception area for presentations and a large business class seating zone. A couple of dozen economy seats and some test equipment completed the fit‑out.

It was like our personal VIP jet.

Boeing had also provided a corporate flight attendant, Maureen Walker of Walker Aviation in Seattle. Helping her, two Boeing executives who donned black‑ties to supply a first-class service.

To save weight passengers were restricted to just 18kg of baggage including laptops and cameras, a situation that provided most of us with serious challenges – and revelations of how achievable traveling light actually is.

In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways engineering staff tended the 777‑200LR as if it was their own, while operational staff provided endless flight plan support – mostly in their own time.

Flying the 777‑200LR were nine pilots: Pilot in command Captain Suzanna Darcy‑Hennemann, Frank Santoni, John Cashman, Randy Austin and Rodney Scaar from Boeing, with Captains Reza and Malik from PIA, Captain Mathew from Singapore Airlines and Phil Schultz from GE.

But setting a world record is not as simple as just flying from one place to another.

On board was Arthur Greenfield from the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) to certify that Boeing followed the complex rules to the letter. The night before the flight, the NAA had weighed all passengers and baggage; in fact, every item on board had been weighed.

The NAA has plenty of experience in such things having monitored the Wright Brothers’ distance‑record flight in 1905 – and every record flight since.

Under the NAA rules, Boeing selected three waypoints three hours before takeoff.

Setting a distance record is like a yacht race, with the aircraft having to fly over rather around a marker, but what it does to get to that mark is up to the crew.

Like a smart yachting skipper, the 777 pilots could fly out of the way to pick up stronger tailwinds.

Our first marker was on the International Dateline north of Midway Island. The second was over Los Angeles International Airport and the third over New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Just eighteen minutes after leaving Hong Kong, the 777‑200LR reached its initial cruising altitude of 29,000ft and Captain Darcy‑Hennemann eased right back on the throttles – and what a difference to the fuel burn! At takeoff, the two GE90‑110b engines consumed 22,700kg of fuel per hour but now they were quite happy with just 6810kg and, later in the flight that would drop to just 4086kg an hour.

That’s a miserly 2.6ltrs per 100km per passenger for a typical load.

The 777‑200LR tracked northeast over Taipei and the southern island of Japan, before turning due east to the mid‑Pacific. About one hour before the aircraft reached the international dateline, and its first waypoint, passengers witnessed their first sunrise.

At the first waypoint, the NAA’s Greenfield sat with the pilots to confirm that we had indeed passed over the waypoint.

The pilots then turned the 777 northeast to find a promised jet stream that would give us a kick. And kick it did. A 132kt (244k/h) tailwind had us at 614kt (1137km/h) and speeding towards Los Angeles.

As the 777 approached the city of freeways, passengers had cameras clicking to record the sunset. Then it was happy hour. As we approached the halfway point, out came special Silverlake sparkling wine from Washington State, which was consumed enthusiastically by the guests as we sped over Los Angeles at 03.02UTC.

Then Boeing Commercial Airplane President, Alan Mulally, symbolically phoned the aircraft, which was fitted with a picocell for mobile phone use. “Congratulations! You are changing the world,” he said excitedly to a beaming Lars Andersen, then 777 VP and program manager.

Further words of encouragement were transmitted from other aircraft, although some aircraft traffic controllers were confused as to why we were flying the long way from Hong Kong to London.

Very few could sleep. It was way too exciting as we were creating history. Sleep and you might miss something!

We were soon over Denver to pick up more fair winds. We then turned east towards New York, which slipped under us at 07.06UTC. Newfoundland was next and as the lights passed below, the first hint of our second sunrise had BBC and CNN cameras in the cockpit to record the historic event.

When the 777‑200LR touched down in London a few hours later, it had flown 22,520km, although Boeing could only claim 21,601km, which was the shortest distance between the waypoints.

Charles Lindbergh and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith would have been impressed as the Boeing 777‑200LR, had just conquered the three greatest challenges in early commercial aviation – non‑stop air travel over the continental US, Atlantic, and the Pacific – in one flight.

Lindbergh was the first to conquer the Atlantic solo in May 1927 taking 33 hours, while Kingsford Smith and his three crew took 10 days with three stops to cross the Pacific in June 1928. For commercial aviation, it was not until 1953, with the four‑engine DC‑7, that commercial aircraft could cross the US non‑stop in both directions.

Two years later, a more powerful version of the Douglas aircraft – the DC‑7C – enabled airlines to cross the Atlantic non‑stop in both directions.

But the Pacific was not conquered non‑stop until Pan American introduced the 747SP in the 1980s.

A321neoLR gets tanked up for the long flights

Steve Creedy

The pace of change is set to pick up on medium-haul markets such as the North Atlantic after European and US regulators gave the go-ahead for up to three underfloor centre tanks to be installed in the Airbus A321neoLR.

The approval includes 180-minute extended twin-engine operations, ETOPS, and will allow the single-aisle plane to fly up to 4000 nautical miles (7400km) with 206 passengers.

Airlines such as Norwegian are already using single-aisle aircraft to cross the Atlantic but the A321neoLR allows carriers to expand their reach.

It is a contender for routes such as Paris- New York and Lisbon-Recife in South America. Other possibilities include Kuala Lumpur-Tokyo, Dubai-Beijing and Sydney-Singapore.

READ United to debut 787-10 on enhanced transcon routes.

The plane comes with a new door configuration and the European’s manufacturer’s new Airspace interior.

There is also, according to Airbus, a 30 percent reduction in fuel consumption per seat compared to older aircraft.

The European Aviation Safety Agency and US Federal Aviation Administration approved the change to install up to three optional additional center tanks (ACTs) along with associated fuel management systems and structural reinforcements in the lower fuselage. The A321neo could previously accommodate up to two additional center tanks.

ACTs give airlines the opportunity to increase the total fuel capacity of an aircraft to either extend range or increase payload but also can be removed to return it to a standard configuration.

Also getting the green light was the manufacturer’s “Airbus Cabin Flex” (ACF) option incorporating structural modifications involving the new door arrangements and a maximum take-off weight of up to 97 tonnes.

Only A321neos with the ACF structure will be able to take advantage of the 97-tonne MTOW and the ability to install three underfloor tanks.

“While the ACF configuration will become standard for all new delivered A321neos from around 2020, the 97t MTOW capability and the ability to carry up to three ACTs will be options,’’ Airbus said.

“For the ACTs, customers would specify prior to aircraft manufacture whether the aircraft is to be equipped with an expanded fuel management system as well as the necessary structural reinforcements to secure the underfloor ACTs.”

Irish airspace reopens after “sigificant failure”

Geoffrey Thomas

Irish airspace was closed from 8 pm Tuesday night till about 11 pm after a significant failure at Shannon ATC.

The Irish Aviation Authority tweeted last night that “a technical issue” at Shannon ATC had caused the closedown.

However, flights to Dublin were not affected as its system is independent of the Shannon system and its proximity to UK airspace.

SEE our video “Dispelling the myths about flying”

As part of a planned contingency, the IAA moved to its backup systems and the flight restrictions were lifted later in the evening with traffic flows slowly restored to normal capacity.

The IAA said that “an investigation into the technical issue is ongoing.”

It warned intending passengers to check with their airlines.

The IAA’s Dublin ATC system is unaffected and Dublin flights were operating normally.

During the close down all flights overflying Ireland were re-routed.

The issue was apparently caused by the failure of Shannon’s “radar”.

Cork Airport described it as a “significant systems failure” resulting in a “zero flow rate”.

Both airports said flights this morning could be affected because planes and crew would be “out of position”.

An investigation into what went wrong is ongoing.

Thousands stranded after Primera collapses

Steve Creedy

Primera collapse airline — Photo: Alan Wilson/Wikimedia Commons

Thousands of passengers have again been left stranded in Europe after the collapse of another budget carrier, Primera Air.

The airline, which operated a handful of aircraft and had ordered Airbus A321neos as part of ambitious expansion plans, announced the decision to halt operations late Monday.

“On behalf of Primera Air team, we would like to thank you for your loyalty. On this sad day we are saying goodbye to all of you,’’ the airline said on its website.

Passengers were told to visit the airline’s website in the next few days or to get in touch with tour operators and travel agents.

The airline said its usual communication channels via email and phone would no longer be offered.

Primera was Icelandic-owned but had operations in Latvia and Denmark and was headquartered in Riga. It mainly ran leisure services for Scandinavian tour operators and had been operating in one form or another for about 14 years.

The budget carrier began making waves when it decided to offer low-cost flights across the Atlantic against carriers such as Norwegian and WOW.

It announced flights from London Stansted and Birmingham in the UK to New York , Boston, Washington and Toronto.

However, it cancelled trans-Atlantic operation from Birmingham in mid-2018, citing delays in the A321neo aircraft deliveries, and said it planned to cancel all operations from October.

Yet as recently as September, it was still touting new service from Madrid to New York, Boston or Toronto.

READ packed planes the new normal as airlines fill more seats.

Despite its short-lived presence in the UK, Primera attracted a barrage of complaints about its customer service, slow response to complaints and penchant for cancelling flights.

In a statement on its website, the company said it had been “working relentlessly during the last months to secure the long-term financing of the airline”.

“Not being able to reach an agreement with our bank for a bridge financing, we had no other choice than filing for bankruptcy,’’ it said.

The statement also claimed it had been the victim of “several unforeseen misfortunate (sic) events” that affected its financial standing.

It said this included a 2017 incident where a severely corroded plane was removed from operations and resulted in a loss of 10 million euros.

Also under fire were what the statement described as severe delays in the delivery of Airbus A321neo aircraft that ended up being “rocky and incredibly problematic” because of flight cancelations, loss of revenue and prompting the need to lease aircraft.

“Weighting the potential losses due to future delivery delays, and the added exposure to our partners and lessors, and bearing in mind the difficult environment that airlines are facing now due to low prices and high fuel costs, we have decided to cease operations now, where it will have a smaller effect on our clients, due to the timing of the year, rather than increasing the exposure,’’ the company said.

“Without additional financing, we do not see any possibility to continue our operations.”

WOW and Virgin Atlantic have been offering reduced fares to stranded Primera passengers.

Other European airline collapses in recent years have included carrier such as Monarch and airberlin.

Ryanair cuts profit outlook

Steve Creedy

ryanair faces legal action — Photo: Ryanair

Ryanair has cut its full-year profit guidance by 12 percent, blaming higher oil prices, strikes and weaker fares.

The low-cost carrier had predicted it would make a profit of between €1.25bn and €1.35bn, in the 2019 financial year but now says it will be from €1.10bn to €1.20bn.

It blamed lower traffic and weaker fares caused by two days of coordinated industrial action in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Portugal as well as the ongoing impact on customer confidence of strike threats.

The strikes had also resulted in higher costs due to European Union rules for delayed and canceled flights.

READ Major US carriers join the rush to boost checked bag fees.

Adding to this was the increased cost of about 10 percent of fuel which remained unhedged and a fuel bill now expected to be €460m higher than last year.

“While we successfully managed five strikes by 25 percent of our Irish pilots this summer, two recent coordinated strikes by cabin crew and pilots across five EU countries has affected passenger numbers (through flight cancellations), close in bookings and yields (as we re-accommodate disrupted passengers), and forward airfares into Q3,” Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said.

“While we regret these disruptions, we have on both strike days operated over 90 percent of our schedule.

“However, customer confidence, forward bookings and Q3 fares has been affected, most notably over the Oct school mid-terms and Christmas, in those five countries where unnecessary strikes have been repeated.”

The airline had expected stronger third-quarter fares but said it was now predicting send-half fares would be down 2 percent as opposed to its previous prediction that they would remain flat.

Ryanair also announced it would trim its winter 2018 capacity by about 1 percent.

The cuts will take effect from Monday, November 5 and will see the closure of bases in Eindhoven and Bremen.

However, most routes to the two destinations would continue to be serviced by overseas or non-German aircraft, Ryanair said.

Ryanair recognized unions in 2017 but staff in a number of countries have complained about the company work practices based on Irish contracts and law.

Crash fatality as Air Niugini missing passenger found.

Steve Creedy

Air Niugini crash alerts ignored — The Air Niugini 737-800. Credit makereta komai @burebasgal via Twitter

The dramatic plunge of an Air Niugini Boeing 737 into a lagoon in Micronesia has become a fatal crash after a missing male passenger was pulled from the water.

Air Niugini chief executive Tahawar Durrani confirmed late Monday that the passenger’s body was discovered by divers after they conducted a further search of the plane and the surrounding Chuuk Lagoon.

“This is the unaccounted passenger from the aircraft,’’ Durrani said. “Our outreach team is in touch with the man’s family and we are making arrangements to repatriate his body.

“The circumstances surrounding this accident are now a matter for relevant authorities as they begin their task of investigating the events that led to the incident and the actions which followed.

“We are committing all required resources to ascertain the factors that led to this accident.

“We express our deepest sympathy to his family. We are and will continue to provide support to his family in this time of loss.”

The airline initially said all 47 passengers and crew on the plane had safely escaped the flooding jet after it came in too low during heavy rain and reduced visibility and plunged into the lagoon on September 28. Four people were taken to hospital.

READ: Airline safety system upgraded by AirlineRatings.com

However, the airline later admitted it could not account for one passenger even though witnesses had reported he had evacuated from the plane.

Chuuk International Airport manager Jimmy Emilio told Pacific Daily News media shortly after the crash that the 737 had tried to land at around 9:30 am local time, ending up around 160mts from the runway.

Flight PX073 was operating from Pohnpei in Micronesia and was due to continue to Port Moresby.

The aircraft registered P2-PXE and was delivered 13 years ago.

Air Niugini had enjoyed a fatality free record to this point and had passed the International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).