A Norwegian airline set a new record for the fastest transatlantic flight on Monday. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flew from New York JFK to London Gatwick in just five hours and 13 minutes.
Surprisingly, the flight landed in London 53 minutes ahead of schedule, touching down at 9:57 PM on Monday. During the 3,500-mile journey, the aircraft reached a ground speed of 776 mph, thanks to tailwinds of up to 202 mph.
Previously, British Airways held the subsonic record with a Boeing 777-200, flying the same route in five hours and 16 minutes back in 2015.
Norwegian captain Harold van Dam remarked that the 787 Dreamliner is a joy to fly and expressed pride in setting a new record. He noted they were in the air for just over five hours and suggested they could have flown even faster if not for predicted turbulence at lower altitudes.