Most produced commercial jet aircraft model
In March this year, Boeing celebrated the 10,000th B737 aircraft to come off its production line.
The feat that led Guinness World Records to recognise the aircraft as the most produced commercial jet in the world (an accolade the aircraft had previously received in 2006 when the 5,000th model rolled out of Boeing’s Renton, Washington factory). The aircraft in question was one of the manufacturer’s new B737 Max 8 aircraft that was delivered to US carrier, Southwest Airlines.
By way of comparison, in 2016 rival manufacturer Airbus celebrated the delivery of 10,000 aircraft in total.
Fastest time to visit all seven continents
In February this year, travellers Julie Berry and Lasey Stewart teamed up to break the record for visiting every continent, stopping off at Sydney, Dubai, Cairo, Frankfurt, Toronto, Santiago, Punta Arenas and Antarctica.
Overall, they managed to complete their journey in 92 hours, four minutes and 19 seconds – nearly a full day later than their initial 72-hour goal, but an impressive feat regardless.
The longest flight on their itinerary lasted 14 hours and 45 minutes and was their first flight from Sydney to Dubai, while their longest layover was in Santiago where they spent six hours and five minutes.
A full rundown of the pair’s schedule can be found here.
Most air miles flown by a passenger
UK-based traveller Frederick Finn claimed this title all the way back in June 2003 after racking up 13.9 million miles via regular commutes between London and New Jersey.
It’s hardly surprising that with that many miles accrued, Finn also holds another record related to the number of flights he’s taken. Specifically, he holds the passenger record for the most supersonic flights, having made 714 Atlantic crossings on the now defunct Concorde.
Tallest hotel
This award went to the 75-storey Gevora Hotel earlier this year when it supplanted former title-holder the JW Marriott Marquis, also located in Dubai, following its opening in February.
Measuring up to a height of 356.33 metres (1,169 feet) from the ground level to the very top, the hotel consists of 75 floors with a total of 528 rooms offered throughout.
It’s worth noting, however, that this award differs from the highest hotel (in a mixed-use building), which still belongs to The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. Opened in 2011, the hotel occupies the 102nd to 118th floors of the 484-metre (1,588-foot) International Commerce Centre.
Oldest active pilot ever
It is rather fitting that the oldest pilot ever to have lived was likely among the first people ever to fly an aircraft.
Cole Kugel from the US was born on March 14, 1902, one year before the legendary Wright Brothers took to the skies. He earned his pilot’s licence in 1945 and kept flying until his last flight in 2007, aged 105.
Kugel passed away that same year from natural causes at his home in Longmont, Colorado.
Country with the most official languages
Zimbabwe’s 16 languages were officially recognised by Guinness World Records in 2013, consisting of Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa.
The key here is how official languages are defined. According to the record keepers, they use the definition described by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: “A language that has legal status in a particular legally constituted political entity and that serves as a language of administration”, though relating specifically to the country as a whole.
India, for instance, has 18 languages that are recognised by the country’s constitution as official languages, however each of these is the official language of particular areas. Only Hindi is considered the overall official national language – it is the language of all central government decrees – while English is technically considered a “second language”.
