- Air Astana is launching one of the world’s longest narrowbody routes from Almaty to London.
- The route will be over nine hours long, but it eliminates the need for a stopover.
- Its Airbus A321LR includes lie-flat seats, which are uncommon on single-aisle jets.
Air Astana is launching one of the world’s longest narrowbody routes with the aim of increasing comfort for passengers.
The Kazkhstani flag carrier announced last Wednesday that it will use an Airbus A321LR on its route from Almaty to London.
In a post on X, it said it worked with the French planemaker to install additional fuel tanks on the single-aisle jet.
Starting October 4, the Almaty-London route will take 9 hours and 35 minutes, the airline said.
Interestingly, that’s actually one-and-a-half hours less than the route’s current duration because it eliminates a stopover in Aktau, in western Kazakhstan.
“With the new modifications, the route will become fully non-stop and more comfortable,” Air Astana said.
While a widebody plane could also fly nonstop, the smaller capacity of the A321LR allows for greater flexibility to operate on less popular routes.
Plus, Air Astana is a relatively small carrier, as it only has three widebody jets, all Boeing 767s.
The new nonstop route is a similar distance as Dallas/Fort Worth to London — which British Airways operates on a superjumbo Airbus A380. Flying over nine hours on a single-aisle jet could test passengers’ endurance.
European budget airline Wizz Air earlier this month announced its first route utilizing the Airbus A321XLR on seven-hour flights.
Between London and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Wizz passengers wouldn’t be able to recline or have access to in-flight entertainment.
“You kind of suffer the pain, if you wish, for the economic benefits that you are deriving from the transaction,” Wizz CEO József Váradi told reporters.
Despite the longer flight time compared to Wizz, those on Air Astana’s new route could be grateful for the upgrade to a nonstop fight.
Plus, amenities could make a key difference: the Kazakhstani airline’s jets include a business class with lie-flat seats.