Fancy flying to Tokyo from Dublin non-stop? Such route may become a reality in the not-too-distant future, as Transport Minister Shane Ross is believed to have held talks with Japanese officials to discuss the issue.
A direct flight to Tokyo from the Irish capital would be about 10,000km long. Currently, the longest route operating from Ireland is Dublin-Los Angeles, which covers around 8,300km.
Super long-haul routes are being tested by Qantas, which flew a test airliner between JFK in New York and Sydney in Australia today as part of Project Sunrise, an initiative to test the viability of extra-long commercial flights.
The aircraft that marked the record flight was a Boeing 787-9. The flight landed successfully in Sydney, Australia, early on Sunday morning local time, after around 20h in the air. No commercial passengers were on board.
Such long flights would require the rotation of flight crews, flight attendants, the serving of several meals, etc. Questions have also been raised about human behavior after spending the best part of a full day inside a metal tube.
Commercial flights of this type, should they ever become a reality, are not expected before the mid 2020s anyway.
Would you fly such long distance in one go? Let us know in the comments below.