Qatar Airways noted the flight was longer than the entire “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies which were filmed in New Zealand.
There were four pilots on board as well as 15 cabin crew who served 1,100 cups of tea and  al tradition to welcome inaugural flights, the Auckland airport rescue service showered the plane with water cannons on arrival.
New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay said the estimated economic impact of the new service “will be well in excess” of NZ$50m (US$36m) with the increased freight capacity provided.
In March last year, Emirates airline launched what was then thought to be the world’s longest non-stop scheduled commercial flight, with a service from Dubai to Auckland, spanning 14,200kms (8,824 miles).
Air India’s Delhi-San Francisco flight claims the world’s longest by flying distance but when measured on the surface of the earth Doha and Auckland are further apart.