Boeing 777 Sets Distance Record

LONDON – A Boeing Co. jet arrived in London from Hong Kong on Thursday, breaking the record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial jet.

The 777-200LR Worldliner -- one of Boeing's newest planes -- touched down shortly after 1 p.m. local time, 8 a.m. ET, at London's Heathrow Airport after a journey of 13,422 miles. The previous record was set when a Boeing 747-400 flew 10,500 miles from London to Sydney is Andersen with a certificate confirming it was for the longest nonstop commercial flight.

Captain Suzanna Darcy-Hennemann, was at the controls when the plane left Hong Kong, said the trip east across the Pacific had been bumpy.

"But we had a great ride across the United States ... and across the Atlantic we saw our second sunrise of the trip," she said.

The jet spent 22 hours and 43 minutes in the air.

Andersen said the Hong Kong-to-London flight showed the future of air travel.

"With the 777-200LR, we are changing the world," he said. "Passengers can fly commercially between just about any two cities nonstop."

The plane had four pilots and was carrying 35 passengers and crew, including Boeing representatives, journalists and customers.

The record-breaking attempt is part of Boeing's fierce competition with its European rival Airbus. 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 spokesman Chuck Cadena said earlier that after leaving Hong Kong, the Boeing jet was flying to the northern Pacific Ocean, crossing North America and cruising over the Atlantic Ocean to London. Hong Kong-London flights usually fly over Russia.