To be announced next week, according to the South China Morning Post, the flight will be the first direct route between the two cities and the longest route and flight so far for Cathay Pacific. Flight time will be less than 17 hours.
If you’re a fan of Designated Survivor or The West Wing, or just want to get a first hand taste of what is going on in Trumpville, Cathay Pacific’s new A350 flight to Washington DC will get you there at least two hours faster than the rest.
To be announced next week, according to the South China Morning Post, the flight will be the first direct route between the two cities and the longest route and flight so far for Cathay Pacific. Flight time will be less than 17 hours.
A good-news story for the airline after a tricky year of financial difficulties and employee lay-offs and benefit trimming, expansion plans also include European cities Brussels, Copenhagen and Dublin, with more rumoured.
Previously ultra-long haul routes weren’t economical to fly, however the Airbus A350-900 uses 25% less fuel and has a 15,000-kilometre range that puts the Washington route’s 13,073-kilometres well within reach.
Nicknamed ‘the Hushliner’, the high-tech aircraft is quieter with improved in-cabin pressure and humidity levels, said to help reduce the effects of jetlag.
The airline will also be adding the longer, larger A350-1000s between 2018 and 2019.