A British Airways' flight emerged as the fastest-ever subsonic flight between New York and London. The flight completed its journey from Heathrow Airport in London to John F Kennedy International Airport in NewYork in four hours and 56 minutes.
According to Flightradar24, a company that tracks global airplanes, the British flight made a new speed record for subsonic — or slower than the speed of sound — commercial aircraft to fly between the two cities. The expected duration of the flight was six hours and 13 minutes. But the flight reached its destination an hour early, as per Flightradar24.
British Airways beat the previous record held by a Norwegian Air flight, which had covered the distance between the two cities in five hours and 13 minutes in 2018.
According to the director of Flightradar24, Ian Petchenik, flights are comparatively slower in the winter. The spring is ideal for a fast flight due to wind and air currents.
British Airways confirmed the flight time for the Boeing 747 plane, saying the company prioritizes safety over speed.
Earlier, the supersonic Concorde flights used to fly across the Atlantic in just over three hours. However, Concorde shut down its services in 2003.