The Shrinking Pacific

The Sonic Cruiser concept pioneered by Boeing is a design using mainly composite materials that will be capable of cruising at up to 98% of the speed of sound. The initial design will be for cruise at 85% of the speed of sound, which translates into an increase in speed of about 15 to 20% over present day aircraft. This will be achieved due to operating at higher altitude than the present 767 and competing Airbus aircraft can achieve. Maximum cruise for most jets presently in service is 65% percent of Mach 1.

The new aircraft, presently tagged the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner, is expected to come into service about 2008, which is just around the corner for major participants in Pacific tourism, who are already in the planning stages for expanding established facilities for primary South Pacific destinations. Developers in the Pacific can be fairly certain that the project will come to fruition because Airbus Industries has announced that production of a competitive product has just received approval from the directors.

The hourly burn rate of the Boeing 7E7 is expected to be slightly less than that of current Boeing and Airbus aircraft. However, since flights will be of 15 to 20% less duration, the savings in fuel will be significant. In addition, the cabin will offer several amenities: increased pressuration, a density altitude of 6,000 feet compared to the present 8,000, and increased humidity, which will enhance comfort. In addition the Dreamliner will offer bigger overhead bins and the largest windows ever introduced on any airliner.

In other words, long flights may even become tolerable. The present eight hour flight from LAX to PPT (Papeete) will tanslate into a six hour and forty-eight-minute flight. The 14 hour non stop LAX to SYD Australia will be just a shade over twelve hours. Another plus factor with more nonstops rather than direct flights is the ability to evade having to go through badly congested airports such as Heathrow, where connections can be a nightmare not only for the passenger but for the luggage, which frequently misses connecting flights although the arriving flight arrived on time.

As the new aircraft will have significant range, initially 6,000 nautical miles but eventually increasing to 9,000 n.m. Pacific Island nations will be paired with an expanded number of major cities, being transformed into nonstop destinations. In addition, during the next decade, Asian outbound tourism is expected to expand dramatically. Asia offers Pacific destination operators the largest pool of potential visitors in the world.

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