United Airlines has launched the first year-round non-stop service between Hong Kong and Chicago, benefiting from improved engine fuel efficiency and new flexible routing.
At the same time, Cathay Pacific Airways is considering Boeing 747 improvements to start the first scheduled non-stop New York service in 1999.
The new daily service between Chicago and Hong Kong has been made possible by United's use of Pratt & Whitney's "Phase III Kit" engine modifications on its PW4056-powered 747-400s. The combination of new parts and better turbine cooling improves specific fuel consumption (SFC) and payload/range performance.
Also, United has been given access to the more northerly G212 route, via Nome in Alaska, Anadyr, Chaybukha and Khabarovsk in eastern Russian and Harbin and Beijing in China. The 13,305km (7,192nm)-long route offers a 10-15min shorter flight time, depending on seasonal winds.
The US carrier had only been able to run a thrice-weekly summer service because prevailing winter headwinds affected westbound flights on existing routes.
United's 747s have been equipped with Boeing's FANS-1 Phase Three navigation package, providing the flexibility to choose the most efficient route and altitude, depending on wind.
Eastbound, the flight time to Chicago is 14h 24min and westbound to Hong Kong 15h 55min, which United claims is the longest route in the world. Flying time between the two cities will be reduced even more with the planned opening of four transpolar routes in 1999 between Asia and the US East Coast.
Hong Kong-based Cathay wants to use the new Polar Two and Three routes to open up the first non-stop service to New York and is planning a one-off demonstration in early July. To operate scheduled fully loaded flights on the 13,640km-long route, it is looking at fitting an auxiliary belly fuel tank to extend the 747-400's range.
Cathay already has 6,440-litre tanks, originally delivered with its Airbus A340s, which it is considering fitting to the 747. The alternative is to order new tanks from Marshall Aerospace in the UK or US manufacturer PATS. The modification will need a supplementary type certificate and the co-operation of Boeing.
The need for extra tankage depends on the SFC performance of modified Rolls-Royce RB211-524HT engines entering service with Cathay. R-R had hoped for an improvement of at least 2% in SFC, but testing of a British Airways 747 in Seattle is believed to have shown only a 1.5% improvement. The focus is now on improving reverser seals, which could add a 0.75% margin.
Source: Flight International
