Air New Zealand passengers take a ride on the 'perfect flight'

Using new technologies and procedures on a flight from Auckland, Air New Zealand cut waiting time, trimmed flying time, saved 1,200 gallons of fuel, eliminated 30,000 pounds of harmful carbon emissions and took a quieter approach on arrival at San Francisco International Airport.

The flight could mark the first major step in altering the way airlines operate their planes, FAA and Air New Zealand representatives said.

"Today is just a great day for aviation," said Robert Sturgell, the FAA's acting administrator, who was on hand to greet the arrival of the regularly scheduled flight. "Clearly we're headed in the right direction."

Although the changes were little noticed by the 270 passengers on board, the flight had actually set a milestone in aviation as it flew what Air New Zealand executives unabashedly called the "perfect flight."

In reality, airline and FAA representatives had been planning the flight for months, giving it ideal conditions to save fuel, including giving the plane priority takeoff and landing so it could try the new procedures.

Still, FAA and airline spokesmen lauded the results, which would be used as a benchmark for other carriers.

"All in all it was a very successful flight," David Morgan, the airline's general manager for operations and safety who spearheaded the initiative, said shortly after the plane landed about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. "It exceeded our expectations."

Some results were not all that noteworthy. The airline had hoped to slash the time even more, but the importance of saving fuel outweighed that of reducing travel time because the plane was diverted twice during the flight to avoid turbulence and unfavorable weather conditions.

Most passengers lauded the initiative, but some also asked whether the cost savings would translate into lower fares.

"It's quite a good thing to save fuel, isn't it?" said Hayley Warren, who was traveling with her husband and four children from Auckland to attend a wedding in New York.

But she asked, "If other airlines do this thing, will it bring down the price for passengers?"

Airline representatives weren't sure whether airfares would be affected, especially if oil prices begin climbing again. But Morgan said that with the industry facing billions of dollars in losses this year, the latest initiative was "designed to help the airlines get to a more sustainable footing."