Non-Stop Flight From Anchorage To Buffalo Covers 2,694 NM

JetBlue Airways recently reported a new world record for distance flown by an Embraer E190, after logging a 2,694 nautical mile non-stop flight from Anchorage, AK to Buffalo, NY.

The record-breaking flight was made last Thursday as the plane was on the first leg of a repositioning trip back to the company's home base at New York's JFK Airport, according to USA Today.

In a message to employees on the company's intranet, JetBlue said, "Flight 4500 took off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 11:23 am (Alaska time) and landed some 6 hours and 11 minutes later, at 9:34 pm (ET), at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. This ultra-long segment was the first leg of the aircraft's return to JFK and its eventual return to scheduled service in the coming days."

Contributing to the length of the flight was the absence of passengers and luggage -- and a strong tailwind, JetBlue spokesman Sebastian White said.

Normally used by JetBlue for short to medium-length routes, JetBlue's longest regularly scheduled flight utilizing an E190 is a 1,476 mile route between Boston, MA and Austin, TX. JetBlue generally uses the much larger Airbus A320 for cross-country and long-haul routes.

Painted with the McCain-Palin logo, the plane had been chartered by the McCain-Palin campaign since September 4, flying vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin on over 100 flights to 29 states. Normally outfitted with seating for 100 passengers, the plane was reconfigured for campaign flights, including a divider curtain separating a press area from the main cabin.

White said, "For the time being we'll use it as a spare/backup aircraft. On November 12 it will go to our Embraer paint shop in Nashville to be fully repainted with JetBlue livery. The jet returns to revenue service mid-November once repainted."

FMI: www.jetblue.com