As Air New Zealand's current Boeing 777-200 fleet approaches its retirement date early next decade, the company is looking for its possible replacement - and the options are impressive.
The airline's CEO Christopher Luxon says the airline will be open to proposals from aircraft manufacturers from early next year, and there's one route in particular they're keen to get off the ground.
Luxon told Reuters that Air NZ is aiming to introduce longer routes, including Auckland to New York direct.
That's a distance of 14,207km, and within the range of the aircraft being looked at as replacements.
Airbus' A350 ULR can fly up to 18,000km - almost all the way from Auckland to Europe, non-stop.
There's also a couple of options from Boeing: the 777X and 787-10 models.
Luxon said the fuel efficiency of the new aircraft will be key to the decision with fuel prices on the rise.
Currently, the world's longest non-stop flight is the mighty 14,535km journey from Auckland to Doha.
However, a new service from Singapore to New York will soon become the longest. The 16,700km flight will take about 18 hours and 45 minutes.
Airbus hosted Air NZ staff onboard a demonstration flight around Auckland in February, and one of the company's aircraft was being tested on Wellington's short runway over the weekend.
Singapore Airlines announces world's longest flight route.
The European company will no doubt be keen to break-up the long term relationship Air NZ currently has with Boeing.
- All of the airline's long haul fleet are currently manufactured by Boeing.
- The new A350 can fly almost halfway around the world non-stop.
The decision is years away, but the competition will only intensify as Air NZ eyes up the aircraft it will use to achieve its American dream: a non-stop, Auckland to New York service.
Newshub.
