Boeing 777 dominates ULH routes

A Boeing (BA – Get Report) 777-200LR now flies the longest flight in the world, an 8,819-mile trip between Dubai and Auckland, New Zealand.
Emirates began the service on Wednesday with an Airbus A380 in order to celebrate the milestone, but switched the next day to the Boeing aircraft.
The Boeing 777 now flies seven of the 10 longest flights in the world, according to a list compiled by flight data provider OAG Aviation. The rest are flown by the Airbus A380.
The lineup will change June 1, when United (UAL – Get Report) will begin San Francisco-Singapore service with a 787-9, marking the first time that the Dreamliner cracks the top 10 list.
At 8,446 miles, San Francisco-Singapore will be the longest 787 route in the world as well as the third-longest flight in the world and the longest scheduled flight by any U.S. carrier.
The trouble with long routes is that they require big airplanes to carry the required fuel, but when the routes are first being developed it can be tough to lure enough passengers to fill a big airplane.
In the case of San Francisco-Singapore, United has wanted to fly it ever since it merged with Continental in 2010.
“But we said we had to wait until we had the right airplane.” said Brian Znotins, United vice president of network, in a January interview. “The airplane has proved it has the legs to do this. The (787-9) has more capacity and more range than the (787-8) and it can carry more fuel.”
For now, the longest 787 route is United’s 7,923-mile Los Angeles-Melbourne flight, also flown with a 787-9. It is the 23rd longest flight in the world, OAG said. Qantas flies the same route using an A380.
At one time, Singapore Airlines flew non-stop from Singapore to both Newark and Los Angeles using an Airbus A340. Both flights were discontinued in 2013, partially because the four-engine aircraft was a gas guzzler.
The Street