Air New Zealand’s 17-hour flights from New York, among longest in the world
- The route was supposed to start in 2020, then the pandemic hit and New Zealand imposed some of the world’s toughest border restrictions
- Singapore Airlines currently offers the world’s longest regular direct flights – to New York – about 15,300km and taking 18 hours and 40 minutes
New Zealand’s flagship airline said on Wednesday it has started selling tickets for direct flights to and from New York, a new route that will take more than 17 hours southbound and be among the longest nonstop flights in the world.
Air New Zealand had intended to start the route from Auckland to John F Kennedy International Airport in 2020 but then the pandemic hit. The first flights will now begin in September.
For two years, the South Pacific nation imposed some of the world’s toughest border restrictions.
But the government announced earlier this month that it would reopen to tourists from the US and many other countries by May 1 as the pandemic threat receded.
Greg Foran, the airline’s chief executive, said he thought that inbound demand to New Zealand would initially exceed outbound demand. “I think there’s a bunch of people on the East Coast of America who are going to love the opportunity to come here direct,” he said.
