El Al to test nearly 18-hour nonstop between Israel and Australia
Israeli flag carrier El Al aims to join the ranks of ultra long-haul flying with plans to test a new nonstop between Tel Aviv and Melbourne in Australia.
The planned flight will take roughly 16 hours and 45 minutes from Tel Aviv (TLV) to Melbourne (MEL), and the return roughly 17 hours and 45 minutes, according to local reports citing El Al. The airline will operate a Boeing 787-9 on the route that it plans to trial in the second quarter of 2020.
The Australian Ambassador to Israel, Chris Cannan, tweeted Wednesday that the new flight would be a "game changer for tourism and, along with our soon to be ratified tax treaty, a real boon for trade and investment."
Sign up for the free daily TPG newsletter for more airline news!
El Al's planned test flights will have to contend with the geopolitical realities of the Gulf. The most direct routing from Tel Aviv to Melbourne is 8,535 miles but, due to restrictions on flying through Saudi airspace, the flight is expected to take a more circuitous routing over the Red Sea that could put the distance at up to about 8,900 miles.
Even at 8,900 miles and a flight time of upwards of 18 hours from Melbourne to Tel Aviv, El Al is not likely to change the rankings of the world's longest routes much. Singapore Airlines' service between Newark (EWR) and Singapore (SIN) will remain the longest route at 9,534 miles, and other routes like Qantas' flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and Perth (PER), and Qatar Airways' flight between Auckland (AKL) and Doha (DOH) longer than the planned El Al service.
Qantas set the record for the longest flight with its Project Sunrise test flights, operating a 9,950-mile nonstop from New York to Sydney in October and then a 10,573-mile nonstop from London to Sydney earlier this month. Both flights were over 19 hours in flight time.
Related: What it was like on the 19-hour Project Sunrise flight
In addition to the new ultra long-haul, El Al plans to return to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) next year after a 13-year hiatus.
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 2X miles | Earn 2X miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere |
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Pros
- Simple earning structure
- Bonus categories
- Annual credits
- No foreign transaction fees
- Flexible redemption options, including transfer partners
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- Fewer bonus categories than some competitors
- Lacks premium perks
- Limited-time offer: Earn up to 150,000 bonus miles—75,000 miles once you spend $7,500 in the first 3 months, and an additional 75,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app