Qatar Airways pospones launch of world's longest flight

Qatar Airways has postponed the launch of the world’s longest flight to date. The carrier was forced to delay the new service from Doha to Auckland, New Zealand due to the late delivery of the new Airbus 350. The 17.5 hour flight was set to commence in December 2016. According to a spokeswoman the airline is now “looking at February 2017 instead”.

This is not the only affected route. The airline has increased pressure on aircraft manufacturer Airbus, in light of arising issues with the A350s merely a year after they had been introduced. Further to this, the delayed delivery of additional aircrafts has led to Qatar Airways having to suspend flights on its regular routes. These include flights to the States, Denmark, Indonesia and the UK.

In a statement, the airline’s spokesperson declared: “We are making selective flight cancellations in several markets, due to a delay in Airbus aircraft deliveries. We are minimising the impact on our passengers as much as possible, and accommodating them on other flights that suit their travel needs. “

The current record holder of the world’s longest flight is Emirates with its service from Dubai to Auckland. The new route from Doha would prolong the flight distance by approximately 200 miles.