Emirates Airline plans to fly the longest nonstop flight in the world next February, when it launches new direct service between Dubai and Panama City. Schedules call for the westbound portion of the Boeing 777-200LR service to last 17 hours and 35 minutes and cover 7,463 nm, according to the Great Circle Mapper website. Under the same operational assumptions, today’s longest regularly scheduled service in the world—Qantas’s Airbus A380 operation between Sydney and Dallas—covers 7,454 nm.

Panama City will become Emirates’ first destination in Central America once service starts on February 1.

“Panama City will be our first destination gateway in Central America, providing a convenient option for our passengers travelling from or through our global hub in Dubai and onward to destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean and the northern part of South America,” said Emirates Airline chairman and CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum in a statement released Thrusday by the carrier. “We’re also pleased to be the only commercial airline to offer a daily, first class service to travellers on what will be the world’s longest nonstop flight.” 

Emirates Flight EK251 will depart Dubai at 8:05 a.m. and arrive in Panama City at 4:40 p.m. each day. The return flight, EK252, will leave Panama City at 10:10 p.m., arriving in Dubai at 10:55 p.m. the next day.

“It is gratifying to see how diplomatic efforts focused on generating development and prosperity for Panama materialize,” added Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice President of the Republic of Panama. “New doors to the country will open with a direct connection to the Middle East, a strong and thriving region with great synergies to both Panama and Latin America.”

Emirates plans for service additions later this year include Mashhad, Iran, and Orlando, Florida, in September; Bamako, Mali, in October; and Bologna, Italy, in November.