.jpg){kind=link}
Starting March 11, Air China will operate a new Boeing 747-8 route. Therefore, the Chinese airline sets the record for the longest flight duration, a record it already held on the route to New York.
Next week, Air China will deploy its 747-8 on flights between Beijing and Washington, D.C. This route already exists, but the airline currently operates it with a Boeing 777. The 747-8 will fly the route twice a week, with a flight time of fourteen hours and forty minutes to Washington, while the return flight will take sixteen hours and fifty-five minutes.
This refers to the so-called block time: the period from when the aircraft departs from the gate until it reaches the gate at the destination airport. What makes the 747 flight unique is that Air China no longer makes a stop in Los Angeles, whereas the 777 still does.
Compared to the 777, the 747 offers a 17% increase in capacity. The 777 can accommodate 311 passengers, while the 747 can carry 365 travelers across four different classes. Air China’s jumbo jets include a premium economy section, with space for up to 66 premium economy passengers. However, the number of economy-class seats decreased by approximately 11%, from 261 to 233.
Longest Routes
Although Air China’s service between Beijing and Washington, D.C. has the longest flight duration, it is not yet the longest 747 route in terms of distance. That title belongs to Korean Air, whose flight from Seoul Incheon to Delta’s hub in Atlanta holds the record for the longest 747 route by distance.
Lufthansa also operates a few long routes with its 747-8s, although none come close to those of Air China or Korean Air. The longest Lufthansa route in terms of flight duration is between Frankfurt and Tokyo Haneda, taking just under fifteen hours to complete. In terms of distance, the Frankfurt to Buenos Aires route ranks highest and is even the second-longest 747 route in the world.