Etihad executive breaks record for round-the-world air travel
New Zealand native flies 41,375km on four flights in 52 hours, 34 minutes
AUAE airline employee and a native of New Zealand has created a new Guinness World Record by travelling 41,375km around the world in the fastest time using the least number of commercial flights.
According to a press release issued by Etihad Airways, Andrew Fisher, the airline’s president of fleet planning, logged 52 hours and 34 minutes flying on four commercial flights, one less than the previous record. He also snipped the previous record time by three hours and 13 minutes.
A reception was held in Abu Dhabi and a video was presented recounting the journey.
The journey used various airlines which included routes from Shanghai to Auckland; Buenos Aires to Amsterdam; and back to Shanghai. “It’s an incredible feeling to have finally achieved my dream,” Fisher said.
The airline said Fisher has a “passion for studying airline route networks and schedules, meticulously charted his journey. He targeted the record for over 20 years, and was first keen to attempt to break it as a teenager”.
Fisher said: “With the advent of new longer range and fuel-efficient aircraft over the years, airlines have been able to introduce non-stop long-haul flights and add frequencies that facilitated my record-breaking attempt.
“Planning the trip was a matter of identifying the most suitable qualifying antipodal city pairs and then finding the best routes, schedules and tightest possible connections within the right window of opportunity.”
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways CEO, said in a statement: “On behalf of employees across the company, I congratulate Fisher.”