Emirates delivers a 14,000km flight in the shortest time
View(s):Emirates Airline’s first non-stop service between Auckland and Dubai will be one of the longest air routes in the world by distance, but with the assistance of clever technology and good planning, passengers will get to their destination in the shortest possible time. Emirates will be using flexible routes, which can vary by day, taking advantage of tail winds and avoiding head winds to reduce the time in the air, a media release issued by the airline said.
This proven technology, combined with the elimination of an en-route stop in Australia, could shorten the time to Auckland by up to three hours and will also result in considerably increased fuel economies – an environmental focus for Emirates, it was stated. The airline starts its first non-stop service from Dubai to Auckland on March 1, bringing many of Emirates’ 39 European destinations, as well as 38 cities in Africa and the Gulf within just a one-stop connection in Dubai. The new non-stop service will be operated by a Boeing 777-200LR and should typically take just under 16 hours from Dubai to New Zealand and 17 hours, 15 minutes in the other direction, the release said.
“Emirates continues to invest in innovative technologies, and we utilise best practices in optimising our flight planning systems, finding the best routes that take into consideration weather and current conditions to ensure we save time, fuel and emissions, while never compromising on the safety and comfort of our passengers and crew,” said Geoff Hounsell, Emirates’ VP Flight Operations Support Services and Air Traffic Management. The airline said that the majority of the Boeing 777-200LR flight will be in Australian-managed airspace, where Emirates has worked with Air Services Australia for the past decade to optimise routes, utilising the technology which will be applied on the direct Auckland route.