Records topple as Asian carriers go ultra long haul

February 1st 2018

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When Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, challenged Airbus and Boeing last year to produce an aircraft that could to fly non-stop between Sydney and London, a distance of 16,991 kilometres, it was not a Blue Sky chat -and aircraft manufacturers were listening. Read More »

Airlines already are breaching distance barriers with the new crop of twin jets, the Airbus A350 and the Boeing B787. These technologically advanced aircraft will reduce the tyranny of distance for Australasian and Tasman carriers and are forecast to erode the dominance of big hub airports in the region.

Qantas will launch its direct Perth-London flights in March with its new B787-9. It will be a journey that will save passengers three hours and one stop transit procedures. It is expected the nonstop flight of 14,498 kilometres will take 17 hours.

Last October, Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched direct services to San Francisco, a journey of 13,593km that could take between 14.5 hours to 17.5 hours depending on seasonal factors. Cathay Pacific will soon enter the fray with nonstop flights to Washington DC’s Dulles International Airport, which will connect Hong Kong to the U.S. capital for the first time. It will be the longest flight in the carrier’s network, a 13,122 km route, and will be operated by the airline’s new A350-1000.

Qatar Airways presently holds the record for the longest commercial airline flight, with its 14,535 kilometre Doha-Auckland route. But it is a record that won’t last long. Airbus and Boeing are developing new aircraft, to be available in the next five years, which will fly longer distances. SIA intends to use a longer-range version of the A350 to fly nonstop Singapore-New York. It flew the route previously but terminated it in 2013.

The A350 has a maximum range of 15,000 kilometres and the B787 14,140 kilometres. Airbus is working on extending the range of the A350. Boeing’s B777X is expected to be able to fly up to 16,110 kilometres nonstop.

Qantas’ Joyce has publicly challenged manufacturers to increase the range of the A350 and 777X family of aircraft to complete “the last frontier” of commercial flying by 2022.

In a speech at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London last year, Joyce said both manufacturers had reacted positively to his challenge, but the ability to fly the aircraft on offer with a full commercial load had yet to be achieved.

An aircraft configured with 300 seats would provide Qantas with the highest possible revenue and fleet flexibility, Joyce said. “Aircraft can do it today, both the B777 and the A350, but we believe they can’t do it with a full payload,” he said. “More work is needed on both aircraft to get there.” Earlier last year, Joyce said the airline would evaluate the A350 and 777X for 12 months before issuing a formal tender, with the number of aircraft ordered still to be decided.

Airbus vice president for the Pacific, Iain Grant, appeared to squash industry speculation the European manufacturer may revive the smaller A350-800, which had been put on ice after poor sales. Grant said at a recent media briefing that talks with Qantas were about the A350-900ULR. “We are bringing in our A350-900ULR, which is going to do the Sydney-London mission. We are very comfortable with that and we will continue to work with Qantas to meet their requirements,” Grant said.  

For Asian hubs such as Hong Kong and Singapore, the increasing number of long-haul flights that overfly their airports is a threat. As a consequence, SIA and Cathay are tapping into new direct markets. Cathay Pacific CEO, Rupert Hogg, said the new service to Washington DC would cater to greater demand for travel to the capital region of the U.S. It also would provide U.S.-based passengers with more convenient access to key destinations in Asia and beyond through the airline’s home in Hong Kong.

“Our customers have told us they want greater options and increased flexibility and we have listened. Much like Hong Kong, Washington DC is a vibrant and dynamic destination. We are thrilled to soon be providing the only direct flights between these two great cities,” he said.

“Establishing direct air links to destinations not already served from Hong Kong enhances our city’s status as Asia’s largest international hub and allows us to secure new and important sources of revenue.”

It is understood Cathay is looking at other non-stop ultra-long routes, including Miami and Mexico City, destinations from Hong Kong that are not yet in reach.

With its A350-900ULRs beginning to arrive this year, SIA CEO, Goh Choon Phong, said customers had asked the carrier to re-start non-stop U.S. flights and that Airbus was the right aircraft to do it in a commercially viable fashion.

“This is another example of how we strive to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations by remaining at the forefront of product and service innovation in our industry. It will further strengthen the Singapore hub by providing the fastest and most convenient air connectivity between North America and Southeast Asia,” he said. SIA is the launch customer for the ultra-long-range variant of the A350 aircraft.

The carrier has placed firm orders for 63 A350s. Seven will be upgraded to A350-900ULRs. It has options to purchase 20 more aircraft and four of them will be converted into firm A350-900 orders. This will increase SIA’s firm orders for A350s to 67 as of September last year.