Zurich to Honolulu non-stop by Edelweiss A340?

[sn26567]

Zurich to Honolulu non stop with direct connections from everywhere in Europe?

An Airbus A340 non stop flight Zurich, Switzerland to Honolulu, Hawaii, with non stop connecting flight on Swiss and Lufthansa from anywhere in Europe. Will this be in the pipeline for Edelweiss Air, a Swiss leisure airline wholly owned by Star Alliance member Swiss International Air Lines and the Lufthansa Group?

Edelweiss currently operates flights to European and intercontinental destinations from its base at Zürich Airport.

The airline is expecting delivery of their three new long haul Airbus A340 by the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017.

The airline already confirmed non stop flights from Zurich to San Jose in Costa Rica; and a non stop from Zurich to San Diego in Southern California, USA.

As first reported by "Schweiz am Sonntag", a Swiss Sunday newspaper and based on insider sources, a non stop from Zurich to Honolulu may be a reality next year. The duration of the flight would be approximately 15 hours and it would be the longest non stop flight in the network of Swiss and Edelweiss. Both airlines are neither confirming or denying their plan to get the Aloha State on their network. It would also be the first non stop flight between Europe and Hawaii.

Swiss tourism arrivals to the United States are up 7%, foreign students in Hawaii from Switzerland are at a record level.

Some experts feel a non stop flight from Hawaii to Europe won't be able to generate a realistic profit. The distance between Zurich and Honolulu is 12,250 km. The Airbus A340-300 can fly up to 13,700 km. However the average weight of a long haul A340-300 with passengers, bags and cargo would reduce the non stop radius to just 10,500 km, not enough to fly Zurich - Honolulu with an average load.

A non stop flight would be routed over the North Pole, far away from the mainland USA. The alternative to route a Swiss Las Vegas flight on to Honolulu may not be a realistic option considering the Swiss carrier would not be allowed to transport just between two U.S. ports, Las Vegas to Honolulu.

Source: eTN

[Didymus]

I wonder why an airline like Swiss would plan flying a route that is supposedly not possible with an A343. South African Airways used to fly JNB-JFK (12.800 km) with an A343. Is extra range required to make it over the North Pole or what are these calculations based upon?

[Stij]

I wonder why an airline like Swiss would plan flying a route that is supposedly not possible with an A343. South African Airways used to fly JNB-JFK (12.800 km) with an A343. Is extra range required to make it over the North Pole or what are these calculations based upon?

I think a A343 can make it to HNL without a problem, but also without cargo and so it will be more difficult to make it profitable...

Cheers,

Stij

[Acid-drop]

on the other hand, a340 are cheap these days ...

[Didymus]

I think a A343 can make it to HNL without a problem, but also without cargo and so it will be more difficult to make it profitable...

The article is ambiguous about what the problem actually is: would it not profitable or even not possible with an average load?

Wild thought: in theory they could make a fuel stop in Anchorage, which is just on the great-circle route.

[Treeper]

The airline is expecting delivery of their three new long haul Airbus A340 by the end of 2016 or beginning of 2017.

Am I reading this in the correct year? The Airbus A340's are still being made? And Swiss has even ordered 3 of those boozers?

[jan_olieslagers]

I wondered the same - but I think the "new" is to be read as "new type for Edelweiss". Writing press releases is a job in itself, or even an art those texts need interpretation.

[KriVa]

The A340 is no longer produced. Production stopped in 2011.
So indeed, new == new type for Edelweiss.

[quixoticguide]

Range is not a problem: 12,268 km is ZRH-HNL and max range is 13700 km of the A343.

[sn26567]

Range is not a problem: 12,268 km is ZRH-HNL and max range is 13700 km of the A343.

As mentioned before, the average weight of a long haul A340-300 with passengers, bags and cargo would reduce the non-stop radius to just 10,500 km, not enough to fly Zurich - Honolulu with an average load.

[crew1990]

But they will not be taking cargo if the plane is full then problem solved

[sn-remember]

Wild thought: in theory they could make a fuel stop in Anchorage, which is just on the great-circle route.

I had the same thought .. The interesting thing is that in ANC they would not be submitted to TSA pax screening. And if they can get 5th freedom trafic rights that would be great as they is currently only a 737 AS scheduled anc-hnl flight. There is a small tourist (and even smaller business) market between Europe and Alaska they could tap into ...

[sn26567]

On the Pacific side of the route, Hawaiian Airlines considers flights to Europe if the A330neo can fly there nonstop once delivered from 2019.

The carrier also made some initial inquiries about the A380...

[sn-remember]

I m sure the A330-800 neo can do it ... and they have 6 on order starting delivery in 2019. I imagine London would be targetted however not sure how they would prioritize the route ..
As for the a380, one may always dream .. Reminds me the 2 a380 order Air Austral recently axed ..