Boeing Jet to Attempt World's Longest Nonstop Flight

Boeing Co. plans to break the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet - a 12,500-mile trip that is to begin in Hong Kong, fly over northern Canada and land in London, the company said Wednesday.

"We plan to smash the current record," said Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, one of four pilots who is flying the Boeing 777-200LR.

The flight, which was to take off later Wednesday, will take about 23 hours and cover more than 11,000 nautical miles, or 12,586 miles, a Boeing statement said. The plane will have 35 passengers, including Boeing representatives, journalists and customers.

The jet plans to fly farther than a Boeing 747-400 that flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney in 1989, the company said.

After leaving Hong Kong, the jet is to fly to the northern Pacific Ocean, cross North America and cruise over the Atlantic Ocean to London, said Chuck Cadena, a Boeing spokesman. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.

The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival, Airbus SAS. The Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner was designed to compete directly with the popular Airbus 340-500, which has a flight range of 10,380 miles.

Boeing expects to deliver the first 777-200LR to Pakistan International Airlines in early 2006, the statement said. Taiwan's EVA Air, Qatar Airways and Air India also have announced orders.

Boeing said that Guinness World Records representatives would monitor the flight and attend the landing at Heathrow Airport.

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