IAH: Only Airport In West To Serve 6 Continents

burchfiel · Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:50 am

[Shortened the title due to space constraints, but it should read: "IAH: Only Airport in the Western Hemisphere to Serve Australasia/South America/North America/Europe/Africa/Asia Nonstop.]

I've apparently been living under a rock the last two months, because only after I saw an Air New Zealand ad did I realize that NZ will be serving IAH nonstop from AKL starting this December.

As a new Houstonian, I'm very proud that IAH will now be the only airport in the Western Hemisphere to serve all 6 permanently inhabited continents nonstop (provided that we don't count Hawaii as part of Oceania, although technically it is). There are very few airports worldwide with this honor; I think DXB, AUH, and DOH are the only other three.

If you ask me, this is a pretty big deal. I think it's the first time any airport in the Western Hemisphere has achieved nonstop scheduled flights to Australasia/Asia/Africa/Europe/South America/North America. I realize it's partly due to Houston's geography, but we certainly have international appeal as a city. Turns out Houston has 94 consulates -- third only to NY and LA within the US (but really 4th, after DC).

What US airport will be next?

[Edited 2015-06-18 22:55:27]

rta · Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:57 am

Quoting burchfiel (Thread starter):
I'm very proud that IAH will now be the only airport in the Western Hemisphere to serve all 6 permanently inhabited continents nonstop

LAX?

zrs70 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:58 am

Doesn't LAX also serve all six?

South America: multiple
Asia: mulitple
Europe: Multiple
Oceana: multiple
North America: multiple
Africa: Egyptair

[Edited 2015-06-18 22:59:22]. Editted: oops, that was discontinued years ago

Etheopean is scheduled to begin sevice via Dublin (or Shannon). But thst doesn't really count.

[Edited 2015-06-18 23:03:12]

rta · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:05 am

Quoting Zrs70 (Reply 2):
Africa: Egyptair

I'm not sure about Egyptair but Ethiopian certainly flies to ADD. But I realized that is via DUB so I guess that doesn't count as nonstop.

slcdeltarumd11 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:07 am

Quoting Zrs70 (Reply 2):

Doesn't LAX also serve all six?

South America: multiple
Asia: mulitple
Europe: Multiple
Oceana: multiple
North America: multiple
Africa: Egyptair

I dont think LAX has service to Africa do they? Ethiopian i think is going to start service but its to Dublin, Ireland not Africa non-stop

burchfiel · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:13 am

Did Egyptair serve LAX nonstop in the past, or was that always through NY? I don't believe they have a nonstop flight to LAX at present -- actually, I'm not sure if they serve LAX at all.

If Egyptair did serve LAX nonstop, and there were flights to South America at the time as well, then I guess IAH can't call itself the first airport to serve all six -- but it's still the only one at present to do so (again, if you exclude Hawaii from Oceania).

UA444 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:19 am

If there were planes that could make it, JFK and LHR would be on this list.

thekorean · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:32 am

New. Zealand isn't Australia, what a hoax.

Gemuser · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:49 am

Quoting thekorean (Reply 7):
New. Zealand isn't Australia, what a hoax.

For the VERY first time I agree with you! NZ does NOT count as a continent. A very nice set of islands 3 hour or so by A380 east of a continent, yes!

Gemuser

LAX772LR · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:03 am

Quoting UA444 (Reply 6):
If there were planes that could make it, JFK and LHR would be on this list.

There are. 77L could do the eastbound for either of the above, today. 778 would as well. Westbound would be an issue though.

Quoting thekorean (Reply 7):
New. Zealand isn't Australia, what a hoax.

Many people, especially on this side of the world, don't consider Zealandia to be a continent (or more realistically: don't know about it at all); so since New Zealand is part of Oceania, they just tend to lump it into the Australian continent with Australia... they're who this marketing is catering to.

Byrdluvs747 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:05 am

Quoting gemuser (Reply 8):
NZ does NOT count as a continent.

Geologists would disagree with you.

Zealandia (continent)

Quoting LAX772LR (Reply 9):
so since New Zealand is part of Oceania

Oceania is a geographical construct, and geography doesn't actually follow the physical reality of the underlying land. For instance, geographically many consider India part of Asia, when in fact it is geologically a separate continent.

[Edited 2015-06-19 00:14:56]

RyanairGuru · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:08 am

Quoting Byrdluvs747 (Reply 10):

Either way, it isn't part of the Australian continent. Oceania is a made up word for political expediency, but means less than nothing in practice

Byrdluvs747 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:19 am

Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 11):
Either way, it isn't part of the Australian continent. Oceania is a made up word for political expediency, but means less than nothing in practice

I agree, I was making the point in relation to the original argument that LAX therefore serves six continents, and with ET's LAX-DUB-ADD flight it is the only city in the west that serves seven continents.

Mir · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:51 am

Quoting burchfiel (Thread starter):
I realize it's partly due to Houston's geography

Entirely due to Houston's geography. Not that Houston doesn't have international appeal, but there would be higher priority cities in the Western hemisphere if aircraft had sufficient range.

You could say the same thing about DXB, DOH and AUH as well - they're helped out immensely by their geography.

Quoting UA444 (Reply 6):

If there were planes that could make it, JFK and LHR would be on this list.

MCOGVADCA · Fri Jun 19, 2015 8:06 am

Quoting burchfiel (Thread starter):
I think DXB, AUH, and DOH are the only other three.

JNB serves all six:
Africa, Europe, Asia: Many.
N. America: DL to ATL (n/s), SA to IAD/JFK (some stops).
Australia: QF to SYD, SA to PER.
S. America: SA to GRU.

[Edited 2015-06-19 01:06:35]

[Edited 2015-06-19 01:08:27]

KLSMB · Fri Jun 19, 2015 8:19 am

There are actually four airports in the Western Hemisphere with service to 6 continents (if you count direct flights, and count New Zealand as part of the Australian continent).

New York JFK
South America: Multiple
North America: Multiple
Europe: Multiple
Asia: Multiple
Africa: Multiple
Australia: Qantas (QF 11/18)

Toronto YYZ
South America: Multiple
North America: Multiple
Europe: Multiple
Asia: Multiple
Africa: Multiple
Australia: Air Canada (AC 33/34)

Los Angeles LAX
South America: Multiple
North America: Multiple
Europe: Multiple
Asia: Multiple
Africa: Ethiopian Airlines (ET 504/505)
Australia: Multiple

Houston IAH
South America: Multiple
North America: Multiple
Europe: Multiple
Asia: Multiple
Africa: United Airlines (UA 142/143)
Australia (New Zealand): Air New Zealand (NZ 28/29 - starting in December 2015)

[Edited 2015-06-19 01:33:11]

JetBuddy · Fri Jun 19, 2015 8:51 am

Actually, the Western Hemisphere includes a lot more than the Americas.

The following nations lie outside the Americas yet are in part or entirely within the Western Hemisphere.

Algeria
American Samoa (United States of America)
Burkina Faso
Cape Verde
Cook Islands
Faroe Islands (Denmark)
Fiji
France (Metropolitan)
French Polynesia
Wallis and Futuna
Gambia
Ghana
Greenland (Denmark) (note: geographically a part of North America, but politically a part of Europe[7][8])
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Iceland
Ireland
Ivory Coast
Kiribati
Liberia
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Western Sahara
Niue
Portugal
Russia
Samoa
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Spain
Togo
Tokelau (New Zealand)
Tonga
Tuvalu
United Kingdom
Gibraltar
Guernsey
Isle of Man
Jersey
Pitcairn Islands
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Falkland Islands

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Western_Hemisphere

Do none of these places offer flights to 6 continents? I would believe certain airports in France and the UK does, maybe Spain as well.

[Edited 2015-06-19 01:52:59]

jetblue1965 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 9:28 am

If UK is Europe and Japan is Asia, why is NZ not Oceania ?

PanHAM · Fri Jun 19, 2015 10:17 am

Quoting JetBuddy (Reply 16):
Actually, the Western Hemisphere includes a lot more than the Americas.

what about Germany Belgium, the Netherlands, just to mentione some?

qf2220 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:14 am

Quoting thekorean (Reply 7):

Gold

If you relax the non stop in this instance (as it is commercially impossible), SYD also makes it. And all on one airline, QF.

slinky09 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:25 am

I understood the Western Hemisphere to be west of the prime meridien, so that includes the UK and certainly that means LHR. Ergo the thread topic is in error since LHR does have direct routes to six continents, as do some other airports previously mentioned.

Quoting PanHAM (Reply 18):
what about Germany Belgium, the Netherlands, just to mentione some?

These countries (and not their overseas territories) are entirely in the Eastern Hemisphere.

[Edited 2015-06-19 04:26:28]

KLSMB · Fri Jun 19, 2015 12:05 pm

Quoting JetBuddy (Reply 16):
http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Western_Hemisphere

Do none of these places offer flights to 6 continents? I would believe certain airports in France and the UK does, maybe Spain as well.

My mistake - in my earlier post, I should have said "in the Americas". Out of all of the countries in the Western Hemisphere, including the ones you've clarified, I can find only five airports with direct service to 6 continents.

New York JFK
Toronto YYZ
Los Angeles LAX
Houston IAH

...and the one I missed in my previous post...

London LHR
South America: Multiple
North America: Multiple
Europe: Multiple
Asia: Multiple
Africa: Multiple
Australia: Multiple

[Edited 2015-06-19 05:08:22]

jetblue1965 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 12:37 pm

Quoting KLSMB (Reply 21):

And that's "direct" service ... JFK-LAX-SYD, YYZ-YVR-SYD, and LAX-DUB-ADD

IAH will uniquely be the only one that actually "nonstop" to all continents

United787 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 2:06 pm

You are all a bunch of wanks, seriously. There are a thousand ways to cut this cake and each one of you can choose to cut it to support your own argument.

We all know the OP was referring to continents in this sense of the term:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continent

Not in geological terms.

The original OP was clearly referring to non-stop flights, not direct flights, he stated so several times.

And the original OP was clearly referring to the Western Hemisphere as meaning the Americas or the New World. Although, the Western Hemisphere technically includes a sliver of Europe and Asia plus a larger part of Africa, we all know he meant the Americas. In fact, I would guess most people think of the Western Hemisphere from a more geopolitical standpoint.

Stop turning these types of threads into a pedantic academic discourse to try and prove how smart you are. It doesn't make for interesting conversation, it is just plain annoying!

Back to the original topic! Congratulations IAH from an aviation fan in Chicago!

[Edited 2015-06-19 07:08:02]

drerx7 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 2:14 pm

Thank You United787 for imparting some foundation to this thread.

usflyguy · Fri Jun 19, 2015 3:59 pm

Quoting JetBuddy (Reply 16):
Do none of these places offer flights to 6 continents? I would believe certain airports in France and the UK does, maybe Spain as well.

Quoting KLSMB (Reply 15):
There are actually four airports in the Western Hemisphere with service to 6 continents (if you count direct flights, and count New Zealand as part of the Australian continent).

Quoting slinky09 (Reply 20):
I understood the Western Hemisphere to be west of the prime meridien, so that includes the UK and certainly that means LHR. Ergo the thread topic is in error since LHR does have direct routes to six continents, as do some other airports previously mentioned.

and the OP also clearly stated, NONSTOP.

Quoting United787 (Reply 23):

Stop turning these types of threads into a pedantic academic discourse to try and prove how smart you are. It doesn't make for interesting conversation, it is just plain annoying!

tortugamon · Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:32 pm

Congrats to IAH. Its a symbol for how much that airport has grown. For those that say NZ is not Australia, I agree. However if we think of the World as 7 continents (and Olympic rings) NZ fits more with Australia than it does anywhere else.

Anyway this thought had me digging. Non-Stop service to Africa is pretty poor from the US. I think there are a ~3 flights out of JFK, 2 from IAD, 1 from BOS, and 1 from ATL. I may missing a couple. I don't think Africa even has a One World partner and you can fly 757s out of MIA and connect to some important airports in Africa. A 767 would be better but the point is its pretty poor and essentially non-existent outside of the east coast (IAH being the exception).

And some still wonder why EK is growing.

tortugamon

jetblue1965 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 5:43 pm

Quoting tortugamon (Reply 26):

Anyway this thought had me digging. Non-Stop service to Africa is pretty poor from the US. I think there are a ~3 flights out of JFK, 2 from IAD, 1 from BOS, and 1 from ATL.

IAD-ADD I think is only nonstop eastbound. West bound via FCO (or is it DUB now?)

IAH has LOS. And by BOS are you referring to that SATA service ?

Quoting tortugamon (Reply 26):
I don't think Africa even has a One World partner and you can fly 757s out of MIA and connect to some important airports in Africa.

Strictly speaking there's Comair, a BA sub, based out of JNB. But it's very much a regional feeder type of operation. As a standalone airline, oneworld is the only Big3 alliance that lacks an airline based completely out of Africa.

However, all signs point of RAM (Maroc) getting closer to being invited into oneworld

AAIL86 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:08 pm

Quoting Mir (Reply 13):
Entirely due to Houston's geography.

If your speaking of New York, then I'd agree with you. However IAH has a ton of international carriers. Don't forget the energy and marine industries in Houston generate a $%^&load of premium international O&D. Where else in the US is there an all-business class configured service like IAH-SVG on SK? JFK-LCY, of course....

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 27):
IAH has LOS. And by BOS are you referring to that SATA service ?

IAH has also had scheduled charter for years 3x weekly IAH-LAD.

Quoting United787 (Reply 23):

You are all a bunch of wanks, seriously. There are a thousand ways to cut this cake and each one of you can choose to cut it to support your own argument.

Ytraveller · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:12 pm

Quoting usflyguy (Reply 25):
and the OP also clearly stated, NONSTOP.

I don't know why people even consider "direct" flights. How are LAX-DUB-ADD and LAX-ADD similar at all? If you're landing at DUB then from there flying to ADD, then logically DUB is the one with the Africa service, not LAX.

It's like how Wiki pages show direct destinations right next to nonstop ones. The BLR page says you can fly to all these Indian cities, when in reality you can only fly nonstop to half. Another example is how AI used to fly ATQ-BHX-JFK, so the ATQ page included JFK as a destination. A layperson would probably think a nonstop ATQ-JFK flight exists, but of course it doesn't.

jetblue1965 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:13 pm

Quoting AAIL86 (Reply 28):

IAH has also had scheduled charter for years 3x weekly IAH-LAD.

Ahh. Thanks. It's a crazy premium config :

"The airline provides thrice-weekly services from Luanda to Houston on a Boeing 747-400 (10 First Class, 143 Business Class and 36 Economy Class seats) operated by Atlas Air.

But do they let anyone outside book it, or must be one of oil/gas employees ?

AAIL86 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:44 pm

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 30):
"The airline provides thrice-weekly services from Luanda to Houston on a Boeing 747-400 (10 First Class, 143 Business Class and 36 Economy Class seats) operated by Atlas Air.

But do they let anyone outside book it, or must be one of oil/gas employees ?

Yep - must be a great ride. The only people that can book it are employees of companies that are members of the US-Africa energy association.

tortugamon · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:51 pm

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 27):
IAD-ADD I think is only nonstop eastbound. West bound via FCO (or is it DUB now?)
IAH has LOS. And by BOS are you referring to that SATA service ?

I think IAD has a Dakar flight on SAA as well. I think they may be starting Accra soon.

I think BOS has a weekly Cape Verde flight.

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 27):
However, all signs point of RAM (Maroc) getting closer to being invited into oneworld

RAM would be a great choice. Geographically it is solid and the O&D has to be pretty good. Hope it works out.

tortugamon

thekorean · Fri Jun 19, 2015 6:53 pm

Quoting Byrdluvs747 (Reply 10):

Since when? India is connected to Asia, hardly OZ/NZ scenario.

But they used to be seperated.

ipodguy7 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:07 pm

Quoting tortugamon (Reply 32):
I think BOS has a weekly Cape Verde flight.

They did, but lost it to PVD.

JFK Has:
MS to CAI
AT to CMN
W3 to LOS
SA)">DL to ACC
SA)">DL to DKR
SA to JNB

PVD has:
VR to RAI

IAD has:
ET to ADD (n-s one way only)
SA to DKR
SA to ACC

ATL has:
SA)">DL to LOS
SA)">DL to JNB

IAH has:
SOR to LAD
UA to LOS

I think the above list is pretty comprehensive, but let me know if you see something out-of-place.
Ignore the SA>DL note after JFK-DKR/ACC, it should read DL

[Edited 2015-06-19 12:08:15]

[Edited 2015-06-19 12:08:49]

jetblue1965 · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:08 pm

Quoting tortugamon (Reply 32):

I think IAD has a Dakar flight on SAA as well. I think they may be starting Accra soon.

Yup it's IAD-DKR-JNB and IAD-ACC-JNB. Do they have 5th freedom rights on both or just one ?

SA really should order the A359 so they can reach IAD nonstop again ... profitably. Their 346 are capable but not exactly economical.

Another thing they can possibly contemplate is 3x weekly to EWR to compliment their JFK service.

timz · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:26 pm

Quoting burchfiel (Reply 5):
Did Egyptair serve LAX nonstop in the past

Suspect not-- but I vaguely recall seeing a 767 LAX-CAI flight that the OAG mistakenly showed as nonstop.

KLSMB · Fri Jun 19, 2015 7:42 pm

Quoting United787 (Reply 23):
You are all a bunch of wanks, seriously.

Haha! Well, getting called a "wank" isn't something I was expecting when posting in this thread.

I posted information about airports that have direct service to 6 continents, because after reading the OP I started looking into the topic. Of course direct flights are not the same as nonstop, and I never said that they were. I wasn't previously aware which airports had nonstop (or direct service for that matter) to 6 continents from North America. I think it's impressive for IAH to have nonstop flights to 6 continents, and only posted about the airports that have direct service as I thought it was interesting to note. After all, isn't this forum a place where we are allowed to discuss? Although all threads get off track at times, with all due respect, I didn't see anything mean spirited in this one until I saw your post. Sorry to upset you over this.

LAX772LR · Fri Jun 19, 2015 11:46 pm

Quoting jetblue1965 (Reply 17):
If UK is Europe and Japan is Asia, why is NZ not Oceania ?

Because both the UK and Japan lie (at least partially) on the same continental plate as Europe and northeastern Asia.

NZ doesn't, it's just the sole remaining surface land of the otherwise entirely-submerged continental mass "Zealandia."

In truth, it's the 8th continent, but geologists generally choose not to designate it as such. It's not part of the Australian continent, and "Oceania" isn't a continent at all, it's just the amalgamation of Micronesia, Polynesia, and Melanesia.

Heck, Hawaii is part of "Oceania" too, but we're not including that as part of the Australian continent, now are we?

Viscount724 · Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:26 am

Quoting timz (Reply 36):
Quoting burchfiel (Reply 5):
Did Egyptair serve LAX nonstop in the past

Suspect not

Yes they did. Started July 1989 with 763 routing CAI-CDG-JFK-LAX. Later upgauged to 777-200ER. Not sure whether the 772 was nonstop. They dropped LAX sometime in the very early 2000s.

Viscount724 · Sat Jun 20, 2015 1:52 am

Quoting KLSMB (Reply 21):
My mistake - in my earlier post, I should have said "in the Americas". Out of all of the countries in the Western Hemisphere, including the ones you've clarified, I can find only five airports with direct service to 6 continents.

New York JFK
Toronto YYZ
Los Angeles LAX
Houston IAH

This thread is about nonstop service, as clearly indicated in the first sentence of the OP. Toronto doesn't have nonstop service to Australia, only a one-stop via YVR.

LAX772LR · Sat Jun 20, 2015 2:30 am

Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 39):
Yes they did. Started July 1989 with 763 routing CAI-CDG-JFK-LAX. Later upgauged to 777-200ER. Not sure whether the 772 was nonstop.

....? The statement you quoted was in specific reference to a nonstop. MS never flew LAX-Egypt nonstop.

Will fated MS900 (the pilot suicide) was for a long time, the LAX routing. LAX-JFK-CAI.

Viscount724 · Sat Jun 20, 2015 2:41 am

Quoting LAX772LR (Reply 41):
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 39):
Yes they did. Started July 1989 with 763 routing CAI-CDG-JFK-LAX. Later upgauged to 777-200ER. Not sure whether the 772 was nonstop.

....? The statement you quoted was in specific reference to a nonstop. MS never flew LAX-Egypt nonstop.

Sorry, I missed the word "nonstop". Thought it was just asking whether MS had ever served LAX.

toxtethogrady · Sat Jun 20, 2015 6:14 pm

Quoting burchfiel (Reply 5):
Did Egyptair serve LAX nonstop in the past, or was that always through NY?

I think they did, but it's a long way to Cairo from Los Angeles nonstop.

But I'm not going to parse whether it's nonstop or not. You could claim New Zealand is not on the Australian continent, but that's pedantic.

toxtethogrady · Sat Jun 20, 2015 6:16 pm

Quoting Byrdluvs747 (Reply 12):
I agree, I was making the point in relation to the original argument that LAX therefore serves six continents, and with ET's LAX-DUB-ADD flight it is the only city in the west that serves seven continents.

Er, six. That nonstop to McMurdo Sound has not commenced yet.

ikramerica · Sat Jun 20, 2015 7:39 pm

It should be New World, not Western Hemisphere.

LAX772LR · Sun Jun 21, 2015 3:18 am

Quoting toxtethogrady (Reply 43):
I think they did, but it's a long way to Cairo from Los Angeles nonstop.

They never served it nonstop, though there was a brochure showing it as being offered. Didn't happen.

LAX-CAI would be longer than LAX-SYD, there's no way such a flight flew under the radar around here, and no one seems to know about it.

burchfiel · Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:28 am

Quoting ikramerica (Reply 45):
It should be New World, not Western Hemisphere.

Why? What other airport in the Western Hemisphere serves 6 continents nonstop (when counting NZ as part of Oceania, but excluding Hawaii)?

By Western Hemisphere, I am referring to the part of the world that lies east of the International Date Line, and west of the prime meridian.

The only airports I'm aware of that serve 6 continents nonstop are:
IAH (as of 6/2015)
JNB
DOH
DXB
AUH

Of those 5, only IAH is in the Western Hemisphere.

The Western Hemisphere does include parts of Europe and Africa, but none of those regions have nonstop flights to 6 continents.

Viscount724 · Sun Jun 21, 2015 11:01 pm

Quoting LAX772LR (Reply 46):
LAX-CAI would be longer than LAX-SYD

But only 28 nm further than LAX-TLV which LY has been operating nonstop for some years with the 772.

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