OAG Travel News

For this week’s installment I thought I would try a different perspective on air service analysis.  Instead of looking at a specific country or city, I’m starting with one flight number and investigating what airlines operate this specific flight number, and what cities are connected up by a seemingly random set of figures.

I chose the number “5280” for my analysis.  5280 represents the altitude of the city where I live... the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado.  As it turns out, there are seven flights around the world with the number 5280 operating in the month of July.

Atlanta, Georgia (ATL) to Jackson, Mississippi (JAN)
Delta Air Lines – the largest airline in the world – operates flight 5280 from Atlanta – the busiest airport in the world – to nearby Jackson.  The once-daily flight is operated for Delta by Atlantic Southeast Airlines with a Canadair Regional Jet.

Jackson, Mississippi (JAN) to Atlanta, Georgia (ATL)
Interestingly, the return flight from Jackson to Atlanta also has the same flight number… the only such “round trip” for a flight 5280.

Beijing, China (PEK) to Hefei, China (HFE)
China Eastern’s flight 5280 operates daily, and the 110-minute flight travels due south from Beijing to Hefei.  Depending on the day of operation, passengers will travel aboard an Airbus A320 or a McDonnell Douglas MD90.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) to Kota Bharu, Malaysia (KBR)
This is one of only two flight 5280s operated by a low-cost carrier.  AirAsia transports passengers from Malaysia’s capital to Kota Bharu, situated in the northeastern corner of West Malaysia.  The 55-minute flight is operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft.

Olbia, Italy (OLB) to London/Gatwick, UK (LGW)
This is the second flight 5280 on a low-cost carrier.  Passengers board an easyJet Airbus A319 aircraft in Olbia on the island of Sardinia.  Two hours and 40 minutes later, the same passengers arrive in London’s Gatwick Airport.

Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL) to St. Louis, Missouri (STL)
Chautauqua Airlines operates flight 5280 daily for American Airlines.  Passengers fly 80 minutes on board a 44-seat Embraer ERJ 140 across the Oklahoma state line into Missouri.


Nanaimo, British Columbia (ZNA) to Sechelt, British Columbia (YHS)
Canada’s only flight 5280 departs from Nanaimo, the second-largest city on Vancouver Island.  The flight aboard West Coast Air’s eight-seat, single-engine de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver carries passengers across the Strait of Georgia to the community of Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.


So, the next time you board a flight, think of the other flights around the world with the same number, connecting passengers with cities far and near.

Source: Official Airline Guide (OAG) Schedule Tapes for July 2009 only, unless otherwise noted.