The Wall Street Journal Tuesday (July 8th) had an interesting piece about how the current high cost of fuel is adversely impacting the super long-haul flights.

The article raises questions about the viability of 15-18 hour flights in an era of $130bbl or more oil. In turn, this raises questions about the business models for the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, which tout hub-busting 8,000nm ranges. The article suggests that shorter route segments make more sense.

The article is silent about the economics of the 8,000nm range A380 and its ability to carry more than 500 passengers, supplying the revenue for the super long-haul route.

Boeing’s Randy Tinseth, VP-marketing, comments in the article, arguing that the hub bypass remains an economic advantage. All-in-all, the piece makes for interesting reading.