The airport employee feels me: "What kind of trip you have in front of you," he says at the check-in switch in Hamburg.With the evening flight I want to go to Dubai and the next morning after four hours of stay to Auckland.Because since 1.March not only flies from Dubai from Dubai with a stopover in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane in Australia to New Zealand, but with the short -term new flight EK 448 for the first time Nonstop - in just under 16 hours.
This flight is over 14.600 kilometers to the longest scheduled flight.Not only from the distance, but on the return flight to the west of 17 hours and 20 minutes even the longest in time.Previous record holders of the Ultra Long Trail are connections such as Sydney-Dallas from Qantas (13.804 km), Johannesburg-Atlanta from Delta Air Lines (13.582 km) or Abu Dhabi-Los Angeles from Etihad (13.502 km), the flight times of which vary depending on the season and winds.
Die Reise nach Auckland hatte für mich schon vor der S-Bahn-Anfahrt zum Flughafen mit dem Überstreifen der Fly&Care-Kniestrümpfe begonnen, wie der Hersteller seine Anti-Thrombosestrümpfe nennt.A helpful measure, because the pure flight time of the new one-stop connection is still 22 hours.The other routes with two stops require at least 26 hours.
Pilots use jet stream
In Dubai there is no major crowd on Gate B21."EK448, Auckland, Boarding" is on the scoreboard.But an unexpected sensation shines behind the glass panes: Instead of a Boeing 777-200LR, a special ultra long-distance version, as the flight schedule announced, a white Airbus A380 from Emirates shines in the morning sun.Does the double -standing aircraft even make this route?As it turns out, only 305 instead of possible 491 passengers are on board.Due to the lower utilization, the range increases.
At the greeting on board, Purser Petr Bogdalek speaks of an "Aviation Milestone" that we will experience today."7900 nautical miles or 14.600 kilometers, ”adds the captain in his announcement:" In my knowledge, it will be the longest flight that an Airbus A380 has ever taken."
The advantage of short -term aircraft change.The A380 is much more comfortable, offer more space in all classes and flies quieter.I have to listen carefully how the four engines are started in the pushback, take a deep breath and hum from the initial super bass at a medium sound level.Now you have reached operating temperature and the colossus rolls towards the runway.„We expect a smooth ride", beruhigt der Kapitän.
At 10.We take off 8:00 p.m. local time, with a weight of 566 tons.In Germany it is only 7.8 p.m., at the destination in Auckland already 19.8 p.m. - We will fly over nine time zones.The next day we should land around 11 a.m..But cheap tailwinds of 30 km/h, which have a say in the route according to the weather forecast, should ensure a shortening.
After starting the sea towards the west, the A380 lies in an 180-degree curve to Backbord.In the morning, the Burj Khalifa overrides all other Dubais skyscrapers.We take the Osten to Oman.South, it goes past the capital Maskat and out onto the Indian Ocean. Zeit für die erste von drei Mahlzeiten in der Economy Class: „Smoked Turkey" als Vorspeise, gefolgt von „Grilled Salmon Fillet" und "Chocolate and Orange Mousse Cake" als Nachtisch.
Change layer over the clouds
26 flight attendants take care of the well -being of the passengers and security on board.Just like the colleagues in the two-man cockpit-there are a total of four pilots-the crews alternate.After four hours it goes into the rest compartment, the "Crew Rest", a closed area that is housed in the back of the Economy Class in the main deck and extends over the entire width of the four middle seats.There are 14 beds for the flight attendants and two more for the flight captains.
„In Auckland bleiben wir zwei Nächte im Hotel", erzählt mir Petr, der Chef der Kabinenbesatzung.With not so long intercontinental flights, one night is enough before it goes back.In contrast to other airlines, the pilots do not have their relaxation area just behind the cockpit, because Emirates has installed the exclusive showers for their first class guests in their machines with a first class there as the only airline there.
Behind the large crew bedroom, a spiral staircase leads to the upper deck, where the armchairs of the business and first class are housed and another special feature of the A380 from Emirates: a round bar in the rear, where the guests get into conversation quickly at drinks and slices. John aus Neuseeland, der auf dem Heimweg aus den Emiraten ist und sich um den Export von landwirtschaftlichen Produkten nach Dubai kümmert, ist begeistert von dem neuen Nonstop-Flug: „Das erspart mir drei Stunden Reisezeit", sagt er.He commutes between Auckland and Dubai up to six times a year.
I do not switch to one of the hundreds of films of the infinite on -board entertainment program in the seat, but choose the "Air Show" program.A digital card appears on the screen.The stylized A380 plane sits almost motionless in the blue ocean like a fat house flying.The Maldives just don't want to get closer.Do we fly on the spot?The stage is only a stone's throw to the distance compared to the distance, which we still have in front of us.
Around13.50 a.m. Dubai local time - after three and a half hours of flight - the cloud cover tears open.13.000 meters below us are not only the dark, amoebi -like spots of the cloud shadows on the water, but also long -stretched, turquoise islands: the Maldives.
Half an hour later we cross the equator according to the map, approximately at the height of the southern tip of India. Wir fliegen einen Kurs von133 Grad Richtung Südosten.In front of us are the vastness of the Indian Ocean to the west coast of Australia.The anti-thrombosis socks tingle on my calves, create a press pressure that is not exactly pleasant.
That would not have happened at Lufthansa
I often get up, move, run my rounds through the double courses.Many children are on board, crawling on the floor, the stewardesses hug them, try it with distraction.
Flight attendant in leisure clothes and T-shirt with the inscription Crew scurry into their recreation room.I see one of them how he spreads a blanket in a corner at an emergency exit, withdraws on his knees, bowed and prays forward.Emirates is an Arab airline with a multicultural crew.Always signaled a yellow arrow with Kaaba symbol on the Inflight card, in which Mecca is mature.
After almost eight hours of flight, the 1 leans.March with a dramatic sunset to come to an end: above the cloud horizon, a narrow strip turns into a light -blazing color wall made of orange, an intensive yellow that merges into the light blue and gets lost in the top of the black of the universe.
After a quarter of an hour the night swallowed us.I lose any feeling of time and space.Where are we?In nowhere between Arabian Peninsula and Perth in Australia.Somewhere in this area, the mh370 wreck is said to be the unresolved puzzle of the 8.March 2014 lost flight of Malaysia Airlines.I feel like I fell out of time, put the sleep mask over my eyes and nod back in.
There is something to eat again.9.5 hours after the start we finally reached the west coast of Australia.The red Beaconlight under the aircraft fuselage flashes regularly and lets the underside of the engines flare up.Five hours of flight time.I'll go back to myself.
We leave melbourne on the left
The aircraft symbol on the map approached the day-night border.In New Zealand it has already become day and bright.Three hours.We fly further parallel to the south coast of the Australian continent over the sea between the mainland and the island of Tasmania in the Southern Ocean.
Nach13 Stunden ist es immer noch stockfinster, ich dagegen fühle mich hellwach, mein Magen knurrt.The cabin lighting becomes brighter, the trays with breakfast are distributed.The sun rises above Lake Tasman.The round entry of the engines shine on the morning sun like orange rings illuminated.
We fly straight to the east, at some point the date limit should come.But we are on the home stretch.The captain reports, gives the weather and the time for Auckland: “21 degrees, sun.We land half an hour earlier than planned, at 10.35 Uhr Ortszeit".
The crowds in front of the toilets, brushing your teeth is the order of the day.The flight attendants collect the waste silently, sort the ceiling chaos, check the seat of the seat belts, the table are folded up.Outside we have long since hatched through the cloud cover, the New Zealand coastline appears, a green strip with white surf waves.Then everything goes very quickly.
At 10.32 local time, the A380 with the identification A6-EON on the slopes of Auckland International Airport puts on.The giant bird rolls to the gate, and for a moment I see nothing more sitting by the window: cascades rinse from the water over the fuselage, because the airport fire brigade greets us from full pipes.We are finally here, the longest passenger flight with more than 14.000 kilometers has an end. „Cabin crew prepare all doors for cross check", heißt die Ansage aus dem Cockpit.
Die 300 Passagiere sammeln ihre „personal belongings" ein, verabschieden sich von den noch immer freundlich lächelnden Stewardessen an der Flugzeugtür und haben nach 15 Stunden und 12 Minuten wieder festen Boden unter den Füßen.Curious: I don't have to change my wristwatch, because Auckland is Germany by exactly twelve hours ahead.
200 tons of kerosene burned
The other three regular line flights from Emirates will arrive via Australia by noon.Then there are four A380 lined up in Auckland, a unique constellation that was not seen anywhere at Dubai Airport.That was probably the reason to use the giant airbus for this first flight.
A Boeing 777-200 LR is used regularly, a model for ultra long distances that only exist 59 copies worldwide.The ten aircraft in the Emirates fleet can accommodate 266 passengers in three classes, whereby in the Economy with 3-4-3 seats of each row has more seat than the same machines at Qatar Airways or Delta Air Lines.
Return flight in 17 hours and 20 minutes
It is only slow in the entrance to.I give the New Zealand official my passport with the completed papers, which she also takes when I will fly back. Die erst freundlich blickende Maori-Dame verzieht ihr Gesicht und schaut mich wie beleidigt an: „Was? So kurz wollen sie nur bleiben".I have to justify myself and almost apologize. Dann schüttelt sie verständnislos den Kopf und stempelt mir ein Besuchervisum „current for three (3) months" in den Pass.
