Longest flight in the world - 18-hours by Qatar Airways from Doha to Auckland

Qatar Airways is going to begin the longest flight in the world. It will be a 18-hour flight from Doha to Auckland and it is termed as "ultra-long haul flights". The distance between Doha and Auckland is 14,500 km and it would take 18 and a half hours as calculated by Travelmath's flight time calculator.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 27 January 2016.

As indicated by the state-owned airline, it has had its eyes on this market and these ultra-long haul flights to Auckland were part of new expansion plans.
Right now, Qantas operates the longest non-stop flight in the world but with the introduction of Qatar Airways flights,it will take a back seat - the Doha - Auckland flight would beat that route by almost 1000 kilometres. Qantas has been operating a Sydney - Dallas flight since September 2014 - it covers a distance of 13,800 kilometres in around 17 hours.
The Qatar Airways flight would be operating Boeing 777-LR aircraft.
The longest flight that Air New Zealand operates is from Auckland to Houston using Boeing's 777-ER aircraft. It covers a distance of 11,933 kilometres and takes 14 hours and 30 minutes.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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Global warming could soon force people out of Gulf countries like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha

Global warming is not something to be scoffed at because a recent study has shown that rising global temperatures could soon push the sun-baked cities of the Gulf across a threshold of human acceptance. The temperatures would literally be beyond survival limits of humans.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 28 October 2015.

The study carried out by scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Loyola Marymount University has warned that at least five of the region's great metropolises could see summer days that surpass the "human habitability" limit. The heat and humidity would be so high that even the healthiest people could not withstand more than a few hours outdoors.
The report cautions that booming cities such Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha could cross the threshold by the end of the century, if temperatures continue to rise at current rates. The Saudi holy city of Mecca, a destination for millions of Muslim pilgrims every year, is also in the list.
Incidentally, a wet-bulb temperature of 35C is regarded as the survivability limit for healthy people. The wet-bulb temperature is measured by using a thermometer that has its bulb wrapped in cloth that is kept wet.
Climate scientists have indicated that some parts of the Earth could cross the 35C mark in future centuries if global warming continues. However, when the temperatures could rise well beyond 43C in the hottest summer months. That would affect Gulf cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. These cities already suffer from high heat-index values that contribute to high rates of heatstroke among outdoor workers.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)


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