<p>Adding a new dimension to the adage ‘Sky’s the limit’, India’s flag carrier Air India recently took off on its longest flight, abridging the distance between the East and the West.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the wee hours of December 3, at 2.35 a.m., Air India’s Flight AI-173 operated by a Boeing 777-200LR, took off from Delhi, for a non-stop flight to San Francisco, arriving there at 7 a.m. (local time) on the same day. The new AI flight to San Francisco will leave Delhi on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and arrive in San Francisco at 7 a.m. (local time) on the same day. The return flight will depart at 10.30 a.m. (local time), and arrive at Delhi the next day (Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays).<br /><br />The Delhi–San Francisco non-stop flight has connecting flights from Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Passengers travelling to San Francisco from the two South Indian cities would benefit as they will undergo immigration and customs at their boarding points itself, and can enjoy a comfortable journey further.<br /><br />Even on the flight, onward to the US, passengers get to enjoy non-stop entertainment (movies, music), specially chosen food, and good service in the lap of the Boeing 777, which offers a three-cabin configuration — with eight seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class, and 195 seats in the Economy Class. Talking to Deccan Herald, an official from Air India said, “Our travel time to San Francisco is 16 hours from Delhi, and typically, the passengers fly to the other end of the globe at nearly the speed of sound.”<br /><br />Entry into long haul<br /><br />Flight AI-173 marks the national carrier’s longest flight route, and an entry into the coveted club of airlines flying long haul. While Air India is tasting its moment of pride, the world’s mega airlines have already sensed the need to fly non-stop, lapping up more air miles than ever.<br /><br />On February 1, 2016, Emirates flight EK-251 will take to the skies over Dubai, heading for Panama City, heralding a new daily service between the two cities. Expected to be the longest scheduled passenger service to date, the flight will clock 8,587 miles, in around 17 hours 35 minutes. The flight, which will be operated through a Boeing 777-200LR, will allow passengers to watch many movies and savour in-flight entertainment, besides many rounds of meals and snacks, before they land on the other end of the globe.<br /><br />The current longest scheduled passenger route (at 17 hours), however, is between Sydney in Australia, and Dallas in the US, operated by Australia’s Qantas, on an Airbus A380, which will soon be overshadowed by the Dubai-Panama City Emirates route. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines will relaunch its own longest non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles (14 hours), and New York (19 hours) in 2018. <br /><br />The Singapore–New York leg is expected to become the longest scheduled passenger flight. “The plan follows regular customer requests to restart Singapore–US flights, supplemented by Airbus providing the right aircraft (A350-900ULR) to meet demands in a commercially viable manner. It will further strengthen the Singapore hub by providing the fastest and most convenient air connectivity between North America and Southeast Asia,” Singapore Airlines India General Manager David Lau told Deccan Herald. <br /><br />Today, the need to fly from one place to another in the quickest possible time in one single flight, seems to have taken precedence over opting for stopovers on the way, irrespective of the distance between the two places. Long-haul routes have taken off! A key factor driving the long-haul trend seems to be the decline in ATF prices. Jet fuel constitutes over 40 per cent of an airline’s operating costs. In the last few years, ATF prices have dipped considerably, reducing operating costs of airlines, making flight ticket prices competitive. More and more cities have opened their airports to international routes, calling out to airlines to drop by.<br /><br />Even in India, data from the Indian Oil Corporation says that in the last two years, ATF prices have dropped from Rs 74,204.74 per kl (December 2013), to Rs 44,846.82 per kl (December 2015) — a decline of 39.5 per cent. Explaining the inverse relationship between ATF price stabilisation and growth in long-haul aviation, PwC India Director (Aerospace and Defence) Rajiv Chib says, “ATF prices are stabilising, and the overall sector is returning to growth.”<br /><br />It’s tech in the air<br /><br />While the world sees the 747s and the A380s cruising through the vast expanse of the sky today, their manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, respectively, are readying more long-haul, wide-bodied products, packed with technological advancements. Amber Dubey, Partner and Head of Aerospace and Defence at KPMG, says that long-haul flights and wide-bodied aircraft are naturally correlated. Accordingly, French aviation giant Airbus has strengthened its double-aisle, wide-bodied portfolio recently, having introduced the sleek A350, which is the first aircraft from the company with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer. The plane’s composite structure will help reduce its weight, and trim the fuel spend, claimed to be 25 per cent less than competitor Boeing’s 777-200LR. <br /><br />Meanwhile, the new Airbus will seat 325 passengers in a three-class configuration, and can fly an overall range of 10,357 miles. The A350 series is positioned to succeed Airbus’ existing major wide-bodied aircraft — A330 and A340 — and compete with Boeing’s 787 and 777. When Singapore Airlines begins flying the A350-900ULR to the US, it will become the aircraft’s launch customer. <br /><br />Airbus’ primary rival, US-based Boeing, is developing a new series of its 777 aircraft, to be launched over the next few years. The Boeing 777-8 is expected to be delivered in 2020, and will have a total range of 10,010 miles. Both manufacturers are vying for robust orders from airlines, which in turn, are hoping to help passengers save time, and cut their costs.<br /><br />A short flight on a long route<br /><br />It appears that a substantial section of airline passengers prefer a direct flight to long destinations, rather than go through the hassle of changeovers in between. According to an official from Air India, “The ultra long-haul flights, apart from improving travel time between two destinations situated in distant geographical zones, gives the passenger the unique experience of covering a flying distance of several nautical miles in the shortest elapsed time.” KPMG’s Dubey adds, “In addition to the longer flight duration, a hopping flight disrupts the sleep pattern, makes one run from one end of the airport to another in case of short connection times, go through X-ray checks again, and run the risk of the check-in luggage not getting transferred to the connecting flight.” Also, airlines provide a discount on non-stop flights, so it does appeal to price-sensitive passengers who may not be that finicky about the higher duration and inconvenience.<br /><br />In contrast, says the Air India official, “A one-stop or two-stop service means that a passenger has to get off the aircraft and wait till the aircraft is cleaned up and passengers are again re-boarded, including the joining passengers. Some airports in Europe are inconvenient for a stopover as the passenger has to get off, go through security, and again re-board, though he is coming from a sterile area.” <br /><br />Singapore Airlines’ Lau says, “Flying long-haul benefits travelers with reduced travel time and helps them maximise on their vacation and work days. While airlines have to carry more fuel for long-haul flights, it also benefits from not having to pay airport and facility charges, which are incurred during a stopover.” The Air India official cites an example: “Our non-stop service to the US would facilitate the passenger to complete his work in India, and then travel overnight, saving him hotel costs, and arrive in the US for a full day’s work. In effect, he has saved an entire day in travel.” “The airline also saves money by way of costs of landing at an intermediary station including handling, fuel, hotel accommodation for crew, and flight duty time for them, among others,” he adds.<br /><br />For India, a long way to fly<br /><br />According to World Bank data, air passengers — both international and domestic — in India have been increasing over the years from 72,151,829 in 2012, to 75,589,079 in 2013, and to 82,751,554.88 in 2014. There is demand among Indians to fly abroad, and yet the number of Indian carriers offering services to overseas markets is marginal. The Indian aviation market today is artificially constrained by the supply of seats on international routes. There are many routes where foreign carriers have reached the bilateral quota limits, and Indian carriers are still around the 30 per cent utilisation mark.<br /><br />Though many global airlines have envisaged intensely long flights, and Indian aviation is yet to reach this scale, PwC India’s Chib says, “It’s not that Indian airlines must just jump into the competition. They must not deviate from their tested growth strategies, which brought them success. They must stick to their business plan, consolidate their position in the market, and concentrate on profits.”<br /><br />Meanwhile, KPMG’s Dubey says, “The government should consider completely doing away with bilateral quotas and encourage more and more international carriers to deploy capacity on routes to India. The competition will bring down prices and provide cheaper travel options to both Indian and foreign travellers to India. Better global air connectivity brings in investors, tourists, and jobs.”<br /><br />Sky is the limit<br /><br /> Air India joins the long-haul flight movement with new route open between Delhi and San Francisco<br /><br /> Emirates to launch new long-haul flight in February next year, when a 777-200LR flies to Panama City from Dubai <br /><br />Singapore Airlines to fly its new (future) Airbus A350-900ULR on 19 hour Singapore-New York flight in 2018 <br /><br />Airbus and Boeing plan their own new long-haul, wide-bodies babies, catering to bullish<br />airlines <br /><br /></p>
<p>Adding a new dimension to the adage ‘Sky’s the limit’, India’s flag carrier Air India recently took off on its longest flight, abridging the distance between the East and the West.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In the wee hours of December 3, at 2.35 a.m., Air India’s Flight AI-173 operated by a Boeing 777-200LR, took off from Delhi, for a non-stop flight to San Francisco, arriving there at 7 a.m. (local time) on the same day. The new AI flight to San Francisco will leave Delhi on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and arrive in San Francisco at 7 a.m. (local time) on the same day. The return flight will depart at 10.30 a.m. (local time), and arrive at Delhi the next day (Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays).<br /><br />The Delhi–San Francisco non-stop flight has connecting flights from Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Passengers travelling to San Francisco from the two South Indian cities would benefit as they will undergo immigration and customs at their boarding points itself, and can enjoy a comfortable journey further.<br /><br />Even on the flight, onward to the US, passengers get to enjoy non-stop entertainment (movies, music), specially chosen food, and good service in the lap of the Boeing 777, which offers a three-cabin configuration — with eight seats in First Class, 35 seats in Business Class, and 195 seats in the Economy Class. Talking to Deccan Herald, an official from Air India said, “Our travel time to San Francisco is 16 hours from Delhi, and typically, the passengers fly to the other end of the globe at nearly the speed of sound.”<br /><br />Entry into long haul<br /><br />Flight AI-173 marks the national carrier’s longest flight route, and an entry into the coveted club of airlines flying long haul. While Air India is tasting its moment of pride, the world’s mega airlines have already sensed the need to fly non-stop, lapping up more air miles than ever.<br /><br />On February 1, 2016, Emirates flight EK-251 will take to the skies over Dubai, heading for Panama City, heralding a new daily service between the two cities. Expected to be the longest scheduled passenger service to date, the flight will clock 8,587 miles, in around 17 hours 35 minutes. The flight, which will be operated through a Boeing 777-200LR, will allow passengers to watch many movies and savour in-flight entertainment, besides many rounds of meals and snacks, before they land on the other end of the globe.<br /><br />The current longest scheduled passenger route (at 17 hours), however, is between Sydney in Australia, and Dallas in the US, operated by Australia’s Qantas, on an Airbus A380, which will soon be overshadowed by the Dubai-Panama City Emirates route. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines will relaunch its own longest non-stop flights between Singapore and Los Angeles (14 hours), and New York (19 hours) in 2018. <br /><br />The Singapore–New York leg is expected to become the longest scheduled passenger flight. “The plan follows regular customer requests to restart Singapore–US flights, supplemented by Airbus providing the right aircraft (A350-900ULR) to meet demands in a commercially viable manner. It will further strengthen the Singapore hub by providing the fastest and most convenient air connectivity between North America and Southeast Asia,” Singapore Airlines India General Manager David Lau told Deccan Herald. <br /><br />Today, the need to fly from one place to another in the quickest possible time in one single flight, seems to have taken precedence over opting for stopovers on the way, irrespective of the distance between the two places. Long-haul routes have taken off! A key factor driving the long-haul trend seems to be the decline in ATF prices. Jet fuel constitutes over 40 per cent of an airline’s operating costs. In the last few years, ATF prices have dipped considerably, reducing operating costs of airlines, making flight ticket prices competitive. More and more cities have opened their airports to international routes, calling out to airlines to drop by.<br /><br />Even in India, data from the Indian Oil Corporation says that in the last two years, ATF prices have dropped from Rs 74,204.74 per kl (December 2013), to Rs 44,846.82 per kl (December 2015) — a decline of 39.5 per cent. Explaining the inverse relationship between ATF price stabilisation and growth in long-haul aviation, PwC India Director (Aerospace and Defence) Rajiv Chib says, “ATF prices are stabilising, and the overall sector is returning to growth.”<br /><br />It’s tech in the air<br /><br />While the world sees the 747s and the A380s cruising through the vast expanse of the sky today, their manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, respectively, are readying more long-haul, wide-bodied products, packed with technological advancements. Amber Dubey, Partner and Head of Aerospace and Defence at KPMG, says that long-haul flights and wide-bodied aircraft are naturally correlated. Accordingly, French aviation giant Airbus has strengthened its double-aisle, wide-bodied portfolio recently, having introduced the sleek A350, which is the first aircraft from the company with both fuselage and wing structures made primarily of carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer. The plane’s composite structure will help reduce its weight, and trim the fuel spend, claimed to be 25 per cent less than competitor Boeing’s 777-200LR. <br /><br />Meanwhile, the new Airbus will seat 325 passengers in a three-class configuration, and can fly an overall range of 10,357 miles. The A350 series is positioned to succeed Airbus’ existing major wide-bodied aircraft — A330 and A340 — and compete with Boeing’s 787 and 777. When Singapore Airlines begins flying the A350-900ULR to the US, it will become the aircraft’s launch customer. <br /><br />Airbus’ primary rival, US-based Boeing, is developing a new series of its 777 aircraft, to be launched over the next few years. The Boeing 777-8 is expected to be delivered in 2020, and will have a total range of 10,010 miles. Both manufacturers are vying for robust orders from airlines, which in turn, are hoping to help passengers save time, and cut their costs.<br /><br />A short flight on a long route<br /><br />It appears that a substantial section of airline passengers prefer a direct flight to long destinations, rather than go through the hassle of changeovers in between. According to an official from Air India, “The ultra long-haul flights, apart from improving travel time between two destinations situated in distant geographical zones, gives the passenger the unique experience of covering a flying distance of several nautical miles in the shortest elapsed time.” KPMG’s Dubey adds, “In addition to the longer flight duration, a hopping flight disrupts the sleep pattern, makes one run from one end of the airport to another in case of short connection times, go through X-ray checks again, and run the risk of the check-in luggage not getting transferred to the connecting flight.” Also, airlines provide a discount on non-stop flights, so it does appeal to price-sensitive passengers who may not be that finicky about the higher duration and inconvenience.<br /><br />In contrast, says the Air India official, “A one-stop or two-stop service means that a passenger has to get off the aircraft and wait till the aircraft is cleaned up and passengers are again re-boarded, including the joining passengers. Some airports in Europe are inconvenient for a stopover as the passenger has to get off, go through security, and again re-board, though he is coming from a sterile area.” <br /><br />Singapore Airlines’ Lau says, “Flying long-haul benefits travelers with reduced travel time and helps them maximise on their vacation and work days. While airlines have to carry more fuel for long-haul flights, it also benefits from not having to pay airport and facility charges, which are incurred during a stopover.” The Air India official cites an example: “Our non-stop service to the US would facilitate the passenger to complete his work in India, and then travel overnight, saving him hotel costs, and arrive in the US for a full day’s work. In effect, he has saved an entire day in travel.” “The airline also saves money by way of costs of landing at an intermediary station including handling, fuel, hotel accommodation for crew, and flight duty time for them, among others,” he adds.<br /><br />For India, a long way to fly<br /><br />According to World Bank data, air passengers — both international and domestic — in India have been increasing over the years from 72,151,829 in 2012, to 75,589,079 in 2013, and to 82,751,554.88 in 2014. There is demand among Indians to fly abroad, and yet the number of Indian carriers offering services to overseas markets is marginal. The Indian aviation market today is artificially constrained by the supply of seats on international routes. There are many routes where foreign carriers have reached the bilateral quota limits, and Indian carriers are still around the 30 per cent utilisation mark.<br /><br />Though many global airlines have envisaged intensely long flights, and Indian aviation is yet to reach this scale, PwC India’s Chib says, “It’s not that Indian airlines must just jump into the competition. They must not deviate from their tested growth strategies, which brought them success. They must stick to their business plan, consolidate their position in the market, and concentrate on profits.”<br /><br />Meanwhile, KPMG’s Dubey says, “The government should consider completely doing away with bilateral quotas and encourage more and more international carriers to deploy capacity on routes to India. The competition will bring down prices and provide cheaper travel options to both Indian and foreign travellers to India. Better global air connectivity brings in investors, tourists, and jobs.”<br /><br />Sky is the limit<br /><br /> Air India joins the long-haul flight movement with new route open between Delhi and San Francisco<br /><br /> Emirates to launch new long-haul flight in February next year, when a 777-200LR flies to Panama City from Dubai <br /><br />Singapore Airlines to fly its new (future) Airbus A350-900ULR on 19 hour Singapore-New York flight in 2018 <br /><br />Airbus and Boeing plan their own new long-haul, wide-bodies babies, catering to bullish<br />airlines <br /><br /></p>
