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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Oct 28, 2022 20:44:47 GMT
AIR NEW ZEALAND last month commenced flying direct AKL/NY-JFK services .... the 4th longest direct service in the world with a return trip air time of some 17.5 hours. The following is a trip report relating to the inaugural service .... youtu.be/qMVTUv6f16Q?t=213Had a few problems with this service already given unusual prevailing weather patterns over the Pacific region recently have basically annulled all original flight planning modeling for the service (this has impacted all long-haul trans pacific services operated by all carriers lately and not just ANZ) .... to the extent some of the airlines flights, on the return sector only of this new service, have not been able to route direct and required a tech/fuel-stop at NAN. ANZ is operating this service using B767-9's .... configured for some 330 PAX, but, restricted to just 230 PAX for this service and no freight being carried either in order to maximize fuel. The A350 might have been a better choice of aircraft for such a long route. Our B777-300's could probably handle the range a little more easily, but, not be able to fly the service as fuel efficiently as the B787-9's .... or so I've been led to believe. A 2022 fleet review of AIR NEW ZEALAND .... www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZaAeQ4WTBY20 airlines regarded as "the safest in the world" for 2022 .... www.youtube.com/watch?v=boK6C3rszJYMark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by cgw444 on Oct 29, 2022 20:49:06 GMT
My understanding is that Qantas uses 787-9s for Perth-London nonstops but they haven't had issues have they?
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Oct 29, 2022 21:13:20 GMT
"GOOD/INTERESTING POINT"  QF does operate B78-9's too but I don't know enough about their ops to comment intelligently .... other than they, so as I know, QF routes the other way across the globe. The AKL/NY-JFK sector of NZ's services is posing "no issues at all" .... other than payload restrictions in order to maximize fuel volume. It's the return sector .... NY-JFK/AKL .... and which is "against prevailing Pacific conditions" that's been another story lately and which has resulted in some (not all) of these originally non-stop intended services needing to tech/fuel stop in NAN. Mark C AKL/NZ |
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Post by aerofoto - HJG Admin on Oct 30, 2022 2:58:20 GMT
Did some quick figuring.
Distance between Perth (WA) and London is some 7,829 air miles.
Distance between Auckland (NZ) and New York is some 8,819 air miles.
Seems the route QF is following between Perth and London is shorter by a fraction under 1,000 air miles
Both routings are probably getting close to the edge of the B787-9's range (for SKED commercial services) .... but what NZ's doing appears to be sufficiently longer enough to make "a difference" that's sometimes to their disadvantage and especially if en-route weather accumulations require any significant diversion to avoid.
Assume the QF service to London flying into/against the prevailing weather is probably around and hour longer than their return trip .... just as NZ's return trip to AKL, also against the prevailing weather, is around an hour or so longer than that of their outbound service to New York.
I've heard QF is apparently intending to introduce Sydney (or it may be Melbourne or Brisbane) to New York services next year .... but .... these will "transit through AKL both ways to and from New York and also operate on the days NZ doesn't fly the route .... and which "in the case of QF" will add another roughly 1,500 miles (or 3 hours or so more) to their service.
It's still felt by many that A350's are better suited to these sorts of ULH routes, but as yet, neither NZ or QF operate the type .... and likely won't given their current fleet programs.
Mark C
AKL/NZ
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