Are virgin about to break a world record for longest flight time on a commercial airline?

[alexy23]

Current world record is held by Qantas for 19hr and 16min on its project sunrise flight from JFK to SYD. This could be very close call.

Edit: just realised LHR-SYD by QF was 19hr and 19 mins, this is a *very* close call.

Also Virgin stated it switched off the IFE and Wifi (unconfirmed) for this flight. Must be tough for this in Y.



Can track flight using the link below

VH-VPD Live Flight Tracking and History (B773 owned by VIRGIN AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES PTY LTD) - FlightAware

 

[kileskus]

From this article (Virgin's Brisbane-Auckland-Hong Kong-Paris repatriation flight) it's not a non-stop flight.

 

[dajop]

From this article (Virgin's Brisbane-Auckland-Hong Kong-Paris repatriation flight) it's not a non-stop flight.

Flightaware currently shows VH-VPD just over DRW, it has not gone anywhere near HKG. Prior activity of that aircraft was BNE-AKL-HKG-CDG. The absence of a flight number on flightaware suggests a ferry flight.

 

[alexy23]

What’s HKG got to do with this flight? This is the return leg from CDG-BNE.

“The jet will leave Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport on 8am Monday 13 April as VA9941, reaching Brisbane at 11am on Tuesday 14 April. With no stopover listed in the schedule, this is expected to be a 19-hour long direct flight.”

Virgin Australia will fly to Paris (via Auckland and Hong Kong)

Virgin Australia's Boeing 777 will make a one-off trek from Brisbane to Paris, with stops in Auckland and Hong Kong.

www.executivetraveller.com

Note I think it’s running 1 day behind.

If this flight lands in BNE at current ETA it will break a world record.

 

[alexy23]

It has not gone anywhere near HKG

It left HKG under VA9015 on 12 Apr bound for CDG.

 

[kileskus]

What’s HKG got to do with this flight? This is the return leg from CDG-BNE.

“The jet will leave Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport on 8am Monday 13 April as VA9941, reaching Brisbane at 11am on Tuesday 14 April. With no stopover listed in the schedule, this is expected to be a 19-hour long direct flight.”

The article I linked said it'd land in Hong Kong before heading to Brisbane on the return leg. Probably should've double-checked with the flight map before jumping in so quickly, apologies. I guess I found it a bit hard to believe that they'd do such a flight without the fanfare that accompanied Project Sunrise. It might do Virgin's image some good

 

[alexy23]

I guess I found it a bit hard to believe that they'd do such a flight without the fanfare that accompanied Project Sunrise. It might do Virgin's image some good

I felt the same, I do feel sorry for the pax who have to endure a 19 hour flight without any of the programs Qantas had. In saying this, most of those programs were research about how to beat jet lag and less about enduring a 19 hour flight. I’m sure most of these families just want to make it home.

Interestingly though this 777-300Er is operating well above its range (16000km vs 14000-11000km). I’d assume this is because it’s a pretty light flight with lots of tail wind.

Fingers crossed they make the record - Virgin need this right now.

 

[JeeJee]

VA is losing its virginity on ultra long haul flights

 

[Mattg]

If this flight lands in BNE at current ETA it will break a world record.

Just to be clear, what is the world record that is set to be broken here?

 

[alexy23]

Just to be clear, what is the world record that is set to be broken here?

Longest flight time on a commercial airline.

London to Sydney flight breaks world record

Australian airline Qantas has broken the record for the world's longest commercial airline passenger flight in both distance and time with a nonstop service carrying about 50 people from London to Sydney via a rare double sunset.

www.cnn.com

 

[Danger]

Is it even legal to do a flight this long without scientific researchers, film crews and pull-up banners?

 

[alexy23]

Is it even legal to do a flight this long without scientific researchers, film crews and pull-up banners?

Only if you don’t have a kangaroo on the tail

 

[alexy23]

It’s obvious now that Virgin has an intention of beating QF‘s record.

Even their original schedule had an ETA of 19hr20min (departing CDG 8am arriving BNE 11:20).

They are still on track for this flight length even with delayed departure, and I assume they would be carefully tracking this last leg to beat the Roos sunrise record.

Announcing such an achievement may be difficult in current times however.

 

[serfty]

CDG-BNE is some 300 miles shorter than LHR-SYD via GCMAP Great Circle Mapper

According to the CNN article, the QF flight went 500 miles further the the great circle at 11,060.

 

[jb747]

It probably quite easy to defeat a longest flight time 'record'. Just fly for endurance. Generally though, people actually want to go somewhere, which means that range is more important.

For the flight crew...bugger to get a Paris trip, and not be able to do anything with it.

 

[BCons]

A few mins ago the tracking link in OP shows 18h 51m with estim 29m flight time remaining. Thats 1 min longer, so yeah, a bit of staging happening there..

And for flt crew bggr of an aircraft to sleep on - noie like a flat bed 777

 

[esseeeayeenn]

The project sunrise flights were not really commercial flights anyway. So they shouldn't be the record holder.

 

[TomVexille]

Still nothing on Boeings 22:40 flight back in 2005

 

[alexy23]

Looks like they are delayed landing, ETA is now showing 19hr43m.

If they don’t land in the next 5 minutes (which they won’t) they will have broken the record.

Post automatically merged: Apr 15, 2020

It probably quite easy to defeat a longest flight time 'record'. Just fly for endurance. Generally though, people actually want to go somewhere, which means that range is more important.

Same could be said for project sunrise though - empty plane!

The project sunrise flights were not really commercial flights anyway. So they shouldn't be the record holder.

Operating such a flight with paying humans on board for such a long time is a record in my eyes.

 

[hydrabyss]

Looks like they are delayed landing, ETA is now showing 19hr43m.

If they don’t land in the next 5 minutes (which they won’t) they will have broken the record.

Post automatically merged: Apr 15, 2020

Same could be said for project sunrise though - empty plane!



Operating such a flight with paying humans on board for such a long time is a record in my eyes.

They've got 2 weeks stuck in a small hotel room to look forward to so now they will have something to talk about when they get out.