Austrian Airlines has launched a new route. The twice-weekly Boeing 777 flight to Cancun will become the airline's longest route at 5,742 miles (9,241 kilometers). The airline's previous longest route from Vienna to Tokyo Narita clocks in just 40 miles shorter as the crow flies at 5,702 miles (9,176 kilometers).

The next week is set to see a wealth of flight launches and relaunches as airlines prepare to move to the IATA winter timetable, which this year officially starts on Sunday, October 31st. We've already seen the arrival of the Airbus A380 in Dusseldorf. Now it's Austria's turn to launch a new route with its Boeing 777 service to Cancun.

A fully booked inaugural flight!

Yesterday's inaugural flight to Cancun was fully booked, with over 300 passengers purchasing tickets. While an inaugural flight selling out wouldn't be impressive during usual times, it stands out during a time where travel restrictions are strict around the world. Mexico is one of the few destinations admitting all travelers without a COVID-19 test, proof of vaccination, or quarantine.

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Before the aircraft departed, passengers and crew could enjoy breakfast at the gate while being serenaded by the sounds of Mexican music. The fully booked Boeing 777 left Vienna International Airport at 10:40 yesterday morning, with 306 passenger seats on the aircraft. The flight took around 12 hours, with the jet landing in Cancun, greeted by a water cannon salute.

Austrian Airlines, Boeing 777, Cancun
The route to Cancun is 40 miles longer than to Tokyo Narita as the crow flies. Photo: Cirium

As mentioned, the route will operate twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. However, the airline has already seen exceptional demand for the route over the Christmas period. As such, ten rotations will operate between December 19th and January 9th, as opposed to the seven that would be expected with a twice-weekly rotation. Each flight will offer three cabins from economy to business class, with ticket prices starting at €538 ($625).

About the inaugural aircraft

OE-LPF operated austrian Airlines' inaugural Boeing 777 flight to Cancun. According to ch-aviation.com, the aircraft is one of six Boeing 777s in the airline's fleet, which together have an average age of 20.9 years. The plane, ordered in 1997 by ILFC, first flew on November 8th, 2001, making it 19.98 years old.

Austrian Airlines, Boeing 777, Cancun
Passengers were treated to Mexican music before the flight. Photo: Julian Schmidt via Austrian Airlines

The jet was initially delivered to the Brazilian carrier Varig, with whom it flew until July 2006. Aeromexico flew the plane from September 2007 to November 2016. Finally, the aircraft arrived at Austrian Airlines registered as OE-LPF in January 2018. Until July 31st, the jet had clocked a total of 68,416 flight hours (7.8 years) across 9,304 flight cycles, making it the second least used in the Austrian fleet. Austrian Airlines has contributed just 9,885 hours (14.4%) and 1,026 flight cycles (11.0%). According to ch-aviation.com, the aircraft's current value is $7.67 million.

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