This Is the Longest Nonstop Flight in the World

DEL-SFO route now flies over Pacific Ocean rather than Atlantic
By Daniel Kay,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2016 3:29 PM CDT
This Is the Longest Nonstop Flight in the World
Air India planes parked on the tarmac at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India.    (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer, File)

Air India has achieved an impressive feat: The Times of India reports that the Indian airline has launched the world's longest nonstop flight, connecting Delhi and San Francisco. The flight covers 9,507 miles in 14.5 hours. Even more impressive: The airline actually managed to shorten the flight time by about two hours, while covering an additional 870 miles. Air India previously flew the route over the Atlantic Ocean; the new route takes a longer path over the Pacific Ocean. But because wind generally flows from west to east, flying across the Pacific allows the plane to fly with the wind, instead of into the wind. The DEL-SFO route will remain the world's longest nonstop route for two years, until the launch of Singapore Airlines' direct route between Singapore and New York City, a flight that will cover 10,250 miles in 19 hours. (More air travel stories.)

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