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Jollygoodfellow
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Philippine Airlines To Operate A Non Stop Flight To Miami

A Philippine Airlines flight is due to land in Miami airport today, having flown 9,316 miles directly from Manila. The flight is scheduled to land just after 16:00 local time in Miami after a huge 15 hours and 58 minutes in the air. A Boeing 777-300ER is operating the long flight.

Flight details
In one of the longest direct flights ever to land in Miami, a Philippine Airlines 777-300ER is making the most of its light load and some tailwinds to fly directly from Manila to Miami. Flight 5112 took off from Manila at 12:14 and is due to land at 16:12.

It is being operated by aircraft registration RP-C7772, a Boeing 777-300ER jet with an average range of just 7,370 miles. The flight today will be over 9,000 miles meaning the plane will be stretched to its maximum. However, it seems the plane is almost empty with very few passengers, and a favorable tailwind allows the aircraft to make the extended trip.

Is a non-stop return possible?
According to One Mile At A Time, it could well be a sort of repatriation flight. Miami docks are currently full of cruise ships with more arriving every day. A large percentage of staff from cruise ships are either from the Philippines or from neighboring countries. This flight could be coming to take some of these citizens home.

If this is the case, then its unlikely the plane will make a non-stop return flight. Not only will it have to face headwinds, but with more passengers and a heavier aircraft, the 777-300ER just won’t make the trip. Currently, it is not known when the plane will return to the Philippines or where it will stop to refuel.

The rise of ultra-long-haul flights
This new generation of aircraft is ushering in an age of what’s become known as ultra-long-haul flights. The new technology available means airlines are starting to launch regular routes that stretch most of the way around the world. The lightweight tech and new fuel-efficient engines mean we will likely see increasing numbers of flights pushing the boundaries of possibility.
Last year, Singapore Airlines launched the longest flight between Singapore and Newark airport at a whopping 9,534 miles and a total time of 18 and a half hours. And this isn’t Philippine Airlines’ first foray into ultra-long-haul flights. It already flies between Manila and JFK. At 8,520 miles, it’s the eighth-longest flight in the world and is generally operated by an Airbus A350.

https://simpleflying.com/philippine-airlines-miami-nonstop/

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GeoffH
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In this world of Covid-19 where airport transfers are more difficult I would expect direct flights to become more common and the availability of ELR jets from both major manuracturers will only increase the trend.  Even the small 320/321 series (which was mostly used on regional and domestic routes) has a new ELR version.

And if air travel is slow to bounce back (and I reckon it will be) then something like the A321 XLR might become the new normal for a lot of international routes.

https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2019/06/airbus-launches-longest-range-singleaisle-airliner-the-a321xlr.html

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