Air New Zealand is launching a brand new direct flight between Auckland and New York - and it will be one of the longest flights in the world.
The new route will boast an impressive flight time of approximately 17 hours and cover a distance of around 8,814 miles when it launches later this year, earning it the accolade amidst some of the world's longest routes.
The first flight is scheduled to take off on September 17, with bookings already open on the Air New Zealand website.
"New York is an iconic yet familiar city, a bucket list item," the airline's CEO Greg Foran said in a statement. "And now for the first time, Kiwis can visit the city of all cities with a non-stop flight. New Zealand lets you slow down – in New York, everything is bigger and faster, it’s exciting and awe-inspiring – and it’s now closer than ever."
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Currently the crown for the world's longest flight goes to Singapore Airlines, who launched a direct route between Singapore and Newark in 2018, with an estimated average flight time of 18 hours 45 minutes.
Unfortunately for aviation fans, this route has been suspended since March 2020 due to the impact of the Covid pandemic. (Although if you're really keen, there are direct flights from Singapore to New York's JFK airport).
As for the longest flight from the UK? That accolade goes to the direct route between London Heathrow and Perth, courtesy of Qantas.
Covering a distance of around 9,000 miles and with a flight time of around 17 hours, the route is operated on the airline's Dreamliner aircraft and due to resume later this month.
As for Brits hoping to once again visit New Zealand, there is good news as the country is due to reopen its borders in phases.
UK travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid will once again be able to visit from 11.59pm on May 1 without needing to quarantine, although they will need to self-test on arrival.
(The country has already reopened to New Zealand residents and citizens who are double jabbed).
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers who are not New Zealand citizens will not be able to enter the country, unless they meet the criteria for one of the handful of exemptions.
Travel rules can change quickly during the pandemic so always check the Foreign Office's latest New Zealand travel advice before booking or planning a trip.
You can find out more about the upcoming New York - Auckland flights on airnewzealand.co.uk.
