Airport – Page 8 – Take off with Natarajan

British Airways Burning Plane….

September 12, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Smoke billows out from a plane that caught fire in Las Vegas | ASSOCIATED PRESS

British airways passengers have been ridiculed for walking away from a burning plane, with many people holding their carry-on suitcases, handbags and other items. One passenger was even spotted carrying a pair of thongs.

The London-bound plane was evacuated on the runway in Las Vegas. All 157 passengers escaped with only 14 being treated for minor injuries.

But social media quickly erupted into harsh criticism, as photos surfaced of passengers leaving the plane, clutching their belongings. Hundreds of people used Twitter to accuse the passengers of putting other lives at risk, and valuing their possessions more than their own lives.

British Airways policy is that passengers leave hand luggage behind in the event of an emergency.

The FAA in the US (Federal Aviation Administration), which sets the rules for flying, clearly advises passengers to always leave carry-on items where you left them — under the seat or in the overhead locker.

‘Retrieving personal items may impede the safe evacuation of passengers,’ states FAA guidance.

Lachlan Burnet, from Wendy Wu Tours, catches more than 50 planes a year. He told The Huffington Post Australia it doesn’t matter how many times people watch the flight safety instructions, in the event of an actual emergency, human behaviour is unpredictable.

“There’s a good reason why ladies are asked to remove high heels before attempting to slide down the plane’s evacuation slide, yet some of these British Airways passengers risked lives by sliding down the slide grasping luggage. If they’d damaged the slide, they’d put other passengers lives at risk,” Burnet said.

“I always keep valuables in my pockets: passport, keys, mobile, ID. That way if you’re in an emergency you can escape quickly, rest assured you have what you need to survive with your basic valuables. Your cabin bag can easily be replaced.”

According to experts, you have just 90 seconds to get off a plane once it’s on fire. FAA surveys have shown that passengers greatly underestimate how quickly a fire can spread and destroy an airplane, with many people bizarrely thinking they have about half an hour to get off a burning plane.

But the reality is that you’ve got one and a half minutes before flames burn through the plane’s fuselage and destroy everything.

Source….www.huffingtonpost.com.au

Natarajan

World’s worst airlines named in Skytrax rankings…..

August 27, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

North Korea’s Koryo Air has been named the world’s worst airline again for the fourth year running by Skytrax, which holds the annual World Airline Awards. It is the only airline listed by Skytrax to receive a lowly one-star rating out of a possible five, due to its Soviet-era planes, rudimentary safety belts, and questionable safety.

Koryo Air has been named the world’s worst airline again for the fourth year running by Skytrax, which holds the annual World Airline Awards for best airline in the world.

It is the only airline listed by Skytrax to receive a lowly one-star rating out of a possible five, due to its Soviet-era planes, rudimentary safety belts, and questionable safety.

The next worst airlines, according to the Skytrax rating system, are those given two stars out of five. There are 21 airlines in this category, which Skytrax says indicates “a lower quality performance, below the industry quality average across many of the rating sectors.”

Ryanair is one of these.

Two star-rated airlines (in alphabetical order)

Bahamasair – Bahamas

Passengers saeem to agree with Skytrax here – the customer reviews on the same website give the airline an average 2/10.

“A two-star airline rating,” Skytrax’ website states, “normally signifies poorer or inconsistent standards of product and front-line staff service for the cabin service and the home-base airport environment.”

Biman Bangladesh – Bangladesh

Customer rating: 5/10

“Checking in was totally disorganised.”

Bulgaria Air – Bulgaria

Customer rating: 6/10

“It seemed that the best I could get from them [the crew] was ignorance”.

China United Airlines – China

Customer rating: 8/10 (from only two reviews)

“China United is the only airline that uses Beijing Nanyuan a former military airport in the South of Beijing. Check-in was quick easy but the check-in area is noisy and dilapidated. Toilets at the airport weren’t great.”

Cubana Airlines – Cuba

Customer rating: 4/10

“So many things went wrong with this flight but the customer service or lack of was ridiculous.”

Iran Air – Iran

Customer rating: 5/10

“IranAir does not serve any alcohol but that’s part of the current Iran experience I guess.”

Lion Air – Indonesia

Customer rating: 4/10

“Once seated another passenger showed me his boarding pass that was the same seat as mine.”

Mahan Air – Iran

Customer rating: 7/10 – shortly to be moving out of the two-star catgory perhaps?

“I always select Mahan for my Dubai – Tehran trips. It’s a budget airline but the food service and staff hospitality are on par with any top airlines of the world.”

Nepal Airlines – Nepal

Customer rating: 5/10 (from only two reviews)

“New plane but limited legroom between seats.”

Onur Air – Turkey

Customer rating: 5/10

“The seat was very uncomfortable. Water was not free, they charge 3 Euros for a small bottle.”

Pegasus Airlines – Turkey

Customer rating: 5/10

“I had four flights booked on Pegasus for business and vacation and the four of these flights were delayed – not by a few minutes, at least an hour or hour and a half.”

Rossiya Airlines – Russia

Customer rating: 5/10

“Meal service is the worst in the air.”

Ryanair – Ireland

Customer rating: 5/10

“In Dublin, when I approached the desk to say that we had our boarding passes on a laptop, the customer service worker starting yelling at us. “How am I supposed to stamp your boarding pass if it’s on a device?””

SmartWings – Czech Republic

Customer rating: 5/10

“Flight was on time (sic), but that was the first and last good thing about it. Flight staff was rude, there is almost no service, you get 1 glass of water or cheap soda and one distasteful sandwich, seats were not comfortable and plane looked old.”

Spirit Airlines – USA

Customer rating: 3/10

“Everything negative everyone has said about Spirit is true. Spirit ruined my trip with unnecessary stress and anxiety.”

Sudan Airways – Sudan

Customer rating: 1/10 (from only one review)

“Aircraft very scruffy inside and needed some real attention and cleaning.”

Syrianair – Syria

Customer rating: 2/10

“The cabin staff on the way out smoked behind the curtain and when my husband challenged them about this they actually offered him a cigarette.”

Tajik Air – Tajikistan

Customer rating: 0/10 (from only four reviews)

“The whole plane was as smelly – in brief the worst of all airlines.”

Turkmenistan Airlines – Turkmenistan

Customer rating: 4/10

“Worst airline and customer service I’ve seen miserable staff who don’t smile.”

Ukraine Int’l Airlines – Ukraine

Customer rating: 5/10

“Long drive (again no air-conditioning) to the airplane. It was a very old 737-500, with signs in Portuguese and Russian.”

Yemenia – Yemen

Customer rating: 4/10

“Seats standard economy not too clean though and interior showed serious signs of wear.”

Source…..www.traveller.com.au

Natarajan

When APJ Abdul Kalam charmed his way into Boeing’s nerve centre…

August 26, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Nostalgia: APJ Abdul Kalam with Dinesh Keskar during his 2009 visit to Boeing’s Seattle plant – PICTURE COURTESY: BOEING

The sudden demise of former President APJ Abdul Kalam on July 27, left people mourning in India. Over 12,000km away in Seattle too, a pall of gloom descend on Boeing’s manufacturing plant, where the former President had charmed and impressed the employees during his visit in 2009. Later Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice-President, Asia-Pacific and India, Boeing Aeroplanes called Kalam “a friend of a lot of people, including Boeing.”

During the 2009 visit, the former President had shown an interest in meeting Joe Sutter, the man who designed the double-decker aircraft, the Boeing 747, which is popularly known as the Jumbo Jet. “The former President knew of him (Sutter) and wanted to meet him,” recalls Keskar.

The 2009 visit to the Seattle plant was Kalam’s first to the Boeing’s manufacturing facility. The 88-year-old Sutter, often called the Father of the 747, was there. The two had a 20-minute meeting which Keskar too attended. “The former President wondered how Sutter had come up with the idea of the upper deck. Kalam also asked Sutter about the support he had in designing the Boeing 747,” Keskar recalled. Perhaps Kalam, who was involved with the Light Combat Aircraft project, was hoping to replicate the same in India. The Missile Man also gave a lecture to an audience that included scientists and top technologists during the Seattle visit. Kalam, however, was not just interested in the Jumbo Jet. During his visit he also got a first-hand feel of the first Boeing 787 aircraft, the long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner . The 787 aircraft that Kalam saw in Seattle was the first of the 27 aircraft that are joining the Air India fleet.

Kalam was impressed with the aircraft, particularly its wings. The crystal model of an aeroplane that Boeing presented Kalam to commemorate the visit is still displayed in Delhi.

Bengaluru days

Kalam’s relationship with Boeing did not end at Seattle. He also visited the Boeing research centre in Bengaluru. Keskar says that the former President spent over three hours talking to the 15 people present, inquiring about their work. Many of the people were picked from the National Aeronautics Lab, where Kalam was the Chairman of the organisation’s research council.

It was during this visit that Kalam said that one of the things Boeing must do is to get India into the aeroplane market. “He was obviously very interested in getting Boeing to do something in India in terms of building an aeroplane in India. We are still working on smaller pieces of that. We have not gone to the stage of the aeroplane but that was his vision,” Keskar added.

Source…ASHWINI PHADNIS ….www.thehindubusinessline.com

Natarajan

What flight attendants want you to stop doing….

August 26, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The galley isn’t for yoga. Picture: PassengerShaming.com Source: Facebook

SURE, it’s uncomfortable being jammed into an airline seat the width of a pizza box (if you’re lucky) for hours on end, listening to the shriek of babies and engaging in elbow wars with your seat-mate while you try to shove down food that tastes like feet.

But that’s the reality of flying these days, you didn’t score that $199 flight without making some sacrifices.

So just remember that for you it’s a temporary descent into hell. But for the flight attendants helping you out, it’s their everyday reality.

Perhaps you wonder how to make their job a bit less painful? Here’s a list of the things that flight attendants really wish passengers would stop doing.

• Leaving rubbish in the pocket on the back of the seat

“We walk up and down the aisle throughout the flight with a trash bag to collect trash.” — Abbie Unger, flight attendant, author and founder of the Flight Attendant Career Connection.

Nappies, socks and rubbish. Picture: PassengerShaming.com Source: Facebook

• Taking ages to decide what you want to drink. And having bad timing

“You’ve seen me walking down the aisle with the drink cart for 20 minutes already.” — Facebook user Corinne Spring from the Flight Attendant Career Connection.

• “There is nothing more irritating than when a passenger comes straight onto the plane and asks for a soft drink. I’m like, ‘Seriously?’” — Nick Stracener, a flight attendant with American.

• Being a space hog

“My head literally just exploded. #TheSenseofEntitlement.” — Shawn Kathleen, who runs the blog PassengerShaming said of the below photo showing items such as heels and a hat taking up precious overhead space.

Got enough room? Picture: PassengerShaming.com Source: Facebook

• Poking or grabbing me

“Please don’t touch, poke, or tug on a flight attendant. You could say ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir’. You can say ‘miss,’ ‘excuse me,’ ‘pardon me’ — or just wait until I make eye contact with you. But please don’t touch my rear end again!” — Abbie Unger.

• Blocking the aisle

“Attention all passengers: Stop. Doing. This.” — Shawn Kathleen said of the photo below showing passengers sharing earphones across the aisle.

Please be considerate. Picture: PassengerShaming.com Source: Facebook

• Making yourself at home, including clipping your nails and walking to the bathroom barefoot

“It’s just so gross. And people in first class are even worse — they think it’s their house.” — Nick Stracener.

“We are always reminding people to put their shoes on because the wetness on the floor is not water.” — Sydney Pearl, author and creator of the website Diary of a Pissed Off Flight Attendant.

Eww. Picture: PassengerShaming.com Source: Facebook

• Using the toilet when the plane is about to land — or meals are being served

“My main pet peeve is when people get on the plane and immediately go to the bathroom all the way in the back.” — an anonymous flight attendant told theNYPost.

• Hanging out in or near the galley

“I came out of the galley and she scared the crap out of me!!” — Shawn Kathleen said on spotting the woman in the photo below in such a strange place, and position.

What’s she doing there? Picture: PassengerShaming.com Source: Facebook

Source….www.news.com.au

Natarajan

India Is Home To The World’s First Completely Solar-Powered Airport….

August 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

https://youtu.be/3FUpo_i0Bbo

One of the world’s three biggest polluters just took a big step toward reducing its greenhouse emissions and embracing renewable energy sources.

India’s fourth-largest airport, the Cochin International Airport in the southern city of Kochi, announced on Tuesday that it is now “absolutely energy neutral,” The Economic Times reports. The airport is co-funded and operated by the Indian government through a public-private partnership.

The airport’s energy neutrality is possible thanks to a 12-megawatt solar system consisting of more than 46,000 panels installed on a 50-acre site. The system can generate up to 60,000 units of electricity daily.

According to Al Jazeera America, the project took six months to build and cost $10 million, which the airport anticipates it will recover within five years. The panels are expected to last 25 years.

The Cochin airport’s solar panels as seen from above in Kochi, India in the southern state of Kerala.

The panels were designed and installed by Bosch Ltd., which has a five-year partnership with the airport, according to Catch News.

The airport began testing solar energy in March 2013, when it installed a small solar plant on the arrival terminal’s rooftop, according to The Economic Times.

The project has been seen as a model for the rest of India, and the government is urging other airports to follow suit.

India’s goal is to ramp up solar capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2022. Its current capacity is four gigawatts.

India has a broader goal to derive 15 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2022, with 3 percent coming exclusively from solar. Earlier this summer, the government rolled out new incentives to encourage developers to turn to renewable energy.

Source…..Joseph ErbentrautChicago Editor, The Huffington Post,….www.huffingtonpost.com

Natarajan

August 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

I love small airports. I believe they are wonderful creations of God, made solely for the purpose of teaching big airports a thing or two about how airports are meant to be.

Small airports are refreshingly cosy. They don’t hurry you. If you are late, which in my case is almost always, there is someone willing to help you through with some good, old fashioned hollering. (“Hey, Bill, this gentleman has forgotten his luggage, can you run him home in your car while I hold the gates open?”)

At small airports, owing to the plethora of electronic equipment and assorted connectors in my hand baggage, I always get extra attention (“Ooh, what do we have here–let’s have a look-see, shall we?”), which never fails to make me feel special. Invariably, this allows me to catch up with the security officer about the weather, and thereafter guide him by way of a series of manipulative answers to ask me what I teach at Bournemouth University. When he does, I lie through my teeth and say, “Nanotechnology.” I always go for nanotechnology because nobody is impressed with journalism or journalists these days, and, between you and me, there isn’t much future for either.

The other reason I love small airports is because they come with small planes. Small planes are utterly charming, if you ask me. They have an individuality that big planes lack. You get to walk up to them and board, which makes the whole experience up close and very personal. You get to notice that the panting blonde who is waving you on to the plane is the same blonde who checked in your luggage when you arrived and the same blonde who scanned your boarding pass a minute ago. You get to see the dirt marks on the nose of the plane and the places where the paint is beginning to peel. If you plan the boarding carefully, you might even get to run your hands on the fuselage a bit. This is something you never get to do with big planes. Who amongst us can claim to have scratched the underbelly of an Airbus or a Boeing? No one, I bet.

When you walk into the cabin of small planes, you get to duck your head a bit and feel tall and powerful. This is good for the morale, particularly for short people, who never get to feel tall and powerful otherwise. If Napoleon had flown Flybe even once, I am certain the world would have been spared much bloodshed. In small planes, you can also peer over the pilot’s shoulder and say, “Aha, gotcha, you doodler!” After that, if you are the worrying kind, you could check with the flight attendant if the plane did indeed stop at your destination (“Excuse me, miss, but could you tell the pilot I want to get down in Edinburgh?”). I always do this because it is good to confirm things, and also because it reminds me of a more innocent time when everybody went everywhere by bus and you routinely passed on similar instructions to the driver.

Once you’re inside, small planes allow you to connect to the world in a manner big planes cannot. The flight attendants are less robotic, almost awkward, at times on the edge of a fumble. You see everyday traffic through your window as you taxi. When you take off, you receive a free back massage, thanks to the frantic reverberations of a small engine struggling against the big pull. The best part is that you get to see the world passing beneath you in a Google Earth kind of way. And if you have seated yourself in the fore of the plane slightly ahead of the wings (in my opinion, the seventh or eighth row is best for this), you can press your nose to the window and watch the propellers whirring close to your face. Call me macabre, but there is something distinctly primal and thrilling about that sight. Big planes and big airports? No, it is not the same.

Chindu Sreedharan teaches journalism at Bournemouth University, England. He is the author of Epic Retold.

Source…..Dr Chindu Sreedharan …..www.huffingtonpost.com

Natarajan

67,000 people have already signed up for this one-time opportunity from NASA …I have done Today !!!

August 22, 2015August 22, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

This is onetime opportunity… Your Name could fly aboard NASA’s Mars Mission….

natarajan

I just sent my name to fly aboard NASA’s Mars mission, InSight, scheduled for launch March 2016!
The InSight lander will listen to the heartbeat of Mars to find out how the rocky planets formed.
View my boarding pass: http://mars.nasa.gov/syn/insight/?cn=238690663577
Get your own boarding pass on NASA’s #JourneyToMars!
Send your name here:
http://go.usa.gov/3Aj3G

Natarajan

Source….KEN KREMER….www.universe today .com and http://www.businessinsider.com

Natarajan

Take a look inside India’s brand new Ghost Airport ….Jaisalmer Airport….

August 20, 2015August 21, 2015Natarajan1 Comment

Located in northwestern India, Jaisalmer Airport was completed more than two years ago at a cost of $17 million. At a time when the spanking new facility should be welcoming hundreds of thousands of passengers per year, it sits abandoned. In fact, the airport has yet to operate a single day.

According to Reuters, Jaisalmer is one of more than 200 no-frills airports planned by India’s previous government. They were meant to encourage travel and commerce in far-flung parts of the Indian sub-continent.

However, in many cases, local political greed won out over reason and airports were placed in locations where there simply isn’t enough demand for air travel to warrant a full-scale airport.

In fact, Jaisalmer is one of eight airports the Indian Government has constructed over the past decade at a cost of more than $50 million to have never entered service, Reuters reports.

Why aren’t airports such Jaisalmer in business? According to Reuters, one reason is because airlines can’t open routes to these small under-developed areas. The domestic Indian market is incredibly competitive and for a route to have any chance of profitability, it has to either fly to or from one of the country’s mega cities.

This means that in order for an airline to open a route to Jaisalmer, it has to originate in a major hub such as Delhi or Mumbai. However, airports in these cities are incredibly congested and the precious space there is at these facilities are prioritized for more profitable destinations. As a result, the less populated locales remain perpetually underserved.

Here’s closer look at India’s brand new ghost airport.
It’s a desert town known for its tourism and natural beauty. However, it’s also sparsely populated.

According to the Economic Times, the airport was supposed to open for business in August 2013.

ECONOMIC TIMES

But it never did.

Today, the abandoned Jaisalmer Airport sits as a reminder of the massive waste caused by poorly planned development.

Here’s what the airport looks like today

The arrival and departure lanes are empty. They should be filled with buses, cars, and Taxis.

This door leads to the check-in area.

No tourists here.

This baggage carousel sits idle.

As are these baggage carts.

No one has ever used these dusty seats.

These dusty bathroom sinks are also brand new.

Outside, the desert environment is taking its toll on the airport.

The roads are in poor condition.

The solar panels lay dormant.

The airport’s only visitor on this day is a stray dog.

Bones from a dead animal sit on a road leading to the airport.

Someone mounted satellite dishes to the outer wall of the airport.

However, Jaisalmer Airport is not beyond saving. In fact, from afar, it looks like quite a nice facility.

Source….

BENJAMIN ZHANG in http://www.businessinsider.com

http://www.ndtv.com www. stuff.co.nz

Natarajan

World”s 10 Safest Airlines ….

August 17, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

A Lion Air plane is seen in the water after it missed the runway in Denpasar, Bali in April 13, 2013. Photographs: Reuters

Five decades ago, 87 plane crashes took away the lives of 1,597 people.

This was when airlines carried only 141 million passengers, which is 5 per cent of today’s number, says Safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com.

In 2014, though the number of fatal accidents fell to 21 (one for every 1.3 million flights), Malaysia Airlines’ two planes – MH370 and MH17 – met a fatal end that claimed 537 lives.

December 2014 saw the tragic end of 162 people from Surabaya who were flying to Indonesia when the AirAsia flight crashed due to bad weather.

Safety and product rating website AirlineRatings.com has listed world’s ten safest airlines.

Of 449 airlines which were included in the study, 149 achieved the website’s seven-star safety ranking and almost 50 had just three stars or less.
Take a look at the world’s 10 safest airlines…

A Qantas A380 arrives at its gate at Kingsford Smith International airport in Sydney. Photograph: Daniel Munoz/Reuters

Qantas

Topping the list is Qantas, which has a fatality free record in the jet era, says the report.

Qantas is Australia’s national airline with an impeccable record. AirlineRatings.com editors noted that over its 94-year history, “Qantas has amassed an extraordinary record of firsts in safety and operations and is now accepted as the world’s most experienced airline.”

: An Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER featuring livery advertising the film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Photograph: Neil Hall/ Reuters

Air New Zealand

Air New Zealand ranks second in safety.

Based in Auckland, New Zealand’s national airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 25 domestic and 26 international destinations in 15 countries.

British Airways. Photograph: Reuters

British Airways

Ranked third in safety, British Airways is the UK’s largest airline on fleet size, international flights and destinations.

Photograph: Alex Domanski/Reuters

Cathay Pacific Airways

Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong also ranks high on safety.

The airline operates flights across 168 destinations in 42 countries.

Flight attendants serve journalists during a flight tour organized by Emirates airline. Photograph: Reuters

Emirates

Emirates is the largest airline in the Middle East with over 3,500 flights per week.

It operates in 142 cities across 78 countries.

Photograph: Reuters

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways operates more than 1,000 flights per week to 96 destinations.

Etihad Airways is the fourth largest airline in the Middle East and the second largest airline in the UAE.

An Airbus A330-300 aircraft of Taiwan’s Eva Airlines, decorated with Hello Kitty motifs. Photograph: Reuters

EVA Air

Taiwan-based EVA Airways Corporation operates flights across 40 international destinations in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

Photograph: Reuters

Finnair

Finnair is the fifth oldest airline in the world.

It has also been ranked one of the safest airlines in the world with no accidents since 1963.

Image: A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 taxis after landing at Dulles International Airport. Photograph: Larry Downing/Reuters

Lufthansa

Lufthansa operates services to 197 international destinations in 78 countries.

It has one of the largest passenger airline fleet in the world.

Image: Singapore Airlines Ltd stewardesses pose next to a business class seat at Changi Airport. Photograph: Edgar Su/ Reuters

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines ranks amongst the top 10 in terms of international passengers.

It was the first airline to fly the Airbus A380.

Source….www.rediff.com

Natarajan

World”s 10 Longest Non-Stop Flights….

August 17, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

The world’s 10 longest non-stop flights criss-cross the world, cutting down travel time and making journeys easier and comfortable.

: Emirates to fly the longest non-stop trip. Photograph, courtesy: Emirates

While the longest non-stop flight in the world will take over 17 hours, the longest domestic flight in India — from Kochi to New Delhi — takes three hours.

The top 10 non-stop flights cover a distance of 82,702 miles, connecting big cities across the world.

Take a look at the world’s 10 longest non-stop flights…

Emirates

Rank: 1

Route: Dubai to Panama City

Distance: 8,588 miles

Duration: 17 hours and 35 minutes

Image: Emirates’ flight from Dubai to Panama city, to launch in February 2016, will be the world’s longest non-stop flight. Photograph, courtesy: Emirates

One of the world’s biggest airlines, Emirates plans to launch services to Panama City from February 2016, making it the longest non-stop flight in the world.

The service to Panama City will start with a daily flight operated by a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft.

Currently, it operates four longest non-stop commercial flights.

Qantas ranks 2nd in the list. Photograph: Reuters

According to a report in The Daily Telegraph, these airlines operate the longest non stop flights…

Qantas

Rank: 2

Route: Dallas to Sydney

Distance: 8,578 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 55 minutes

Qantas is Australia’s national airline and has the record of being the safest airline as well.

Founded in 1920, the third oldest airline in the world flies to 20 domestic destinations and 21 international destinations in 14 countries. Qantas also owns the low-cost airline, Jetstar.

Saudia flies from Jeddah to Los Angeles. Photograph: Reuters

Saudia

Rank: 3

Route: Jeddah to Los Angeles

Distance: 8,332 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 55 minutes

Founded in 1945, Saudi Arabia’s flagship airline flies to over 120 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

The airline is the third largest in the Middle East in terms of revenue, after Emirates and Qatar Airways

Delta’s longest flight takes 16 hours and 40 minutes. Photograph, courtesy: Delta

Delta Airlines

Rank: 4

Route: Johannesburg to Atlanta

Distance: 8,439 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 40 minutes

The oldest airline operating in the United States, started off as Huff Daland Dusters in 1924.

The airline and its subsidiaries operate over 5,400 flights daily across 334 destinations in 64 countries.

Emirates

Rank: 5

Route: Dubai to Los Angeles

Distance: 8,339 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 35 minutes

The largest airline in the Middle East, Emirates operates services to 147 destinations in 81 countries in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Far East and Australasia.

Since its launch in 1985, Emirates Airline has received more than 500 international awards

Etihad is the second-largest airline in United Arab Emirates.
Photograph, courtesy: Etihad

Etihad

Rank: 6

Route: Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles

Distance: 8,390 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 25 minutes

Founded in 2003, Etihad is the second-largest airline in United Arab Emirates.

The airline operates more than 1,000 flights per week to over 120 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States.

Emirates operates four of the longest non-stop commercial flights. Photograph, courtesy: Emirates

Emirates

Rank: 7

Route: Dubai to Houston

Distance: 8,168 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 20 minutes

Emirates is the seventh largest airline in the world in terms of revenue and the fourth-largest airline in the world in terms of international passengers carried.

The airline has a record for being profitable for the last 27 consecutive years.

American Airlines is the world’s largest airline. Photograph, courtesy: American Airlines

American Airlines

Rank: 8

Route: Dallas to Hong Kong

Distance: 8,123 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 20 minutes

American Airlines, which started operations in 1934, is the world’s largest airline in terms of passengers flown, fleet size and revenue.

The airline established itself by merging 82 small airlines through acquisitions in 1930.

Etihad is ranked among the world’s best airlines. Photograph, courtesy: Etihad

Etihad

Rank: 9

Route: Abu Dhabi to San Francisco

Distance: 8,158 miles

Duration: 16 hours and 15 minutes

Etihad Airways was ranked 9th among the world’s top 10 airlines by Skytrax in 2014.

Image: Cathay Pacific flies to 200 destinations. Photograph, courtesy: Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific

Rank: 10

Route: New York to Hong Kong

Distance: 8,072 miles

Duration: 16 hours

Cathay Pacific. founded in 1946, flies to 200 destinations in 52 countries across the world.

The airline has been ranked as ‘World’s Best Airline’ four times.

It subsidiary, Dragonair, operates to 44 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region from its base in Hong Kong.

Source….www.rediff.com

Natarajan