The flight, operated by Emirates, came direct from Dubai to New Zealand and flew over 14,000kms and took less than 16 hours.
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The flight is also thought to be the longest in duration with passengers set to spend 17 hours and 15 minutes in the air on the return leg from Auckland to Dubai.
The title will not be held for long though, as Emirates will beat it’s own record when it launches flights from Dubai to Central America’s Panama City at the end of this month – clocking in at a mega 17 hours and 35 minutes.
“This is an important development for our customers, for Emirates, and for New Zealand”.
Like Emirates’ other New Zealand flights, the aircraft will offer three cabin classes.
Joining Chapman onboard the first flight from Dubai were: the New Zealand Ambassador to the UAE, Jeremy Clarke-Watson; and the chief executive of Emirates Team New Zealand, Grant Dalton.
“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.
New Zealand exporters will also benefit from the new service, being able to access more capacity through Dubai, one of the world’s major cargo hubs, particularly of benefit with perishable goods for markets in the Middle East and Africa regions.
PwC calculates that Emirates, Qatar Air and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways already serve all conurbations with a population of 10 million-plus, factoring in code-share deals, and 87 percent of those with 5 million to 10 million people.
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New Zealand Transport Minister Simon Bridges said the service increased New Zealand’s connectivity with the rest of the world.
