By the time World War Two broke out, most of the major long-distance international passenger services were either well established or were being developed. Routes between Europe and the Far East/Australia, Europe and Africa, and the United States and Latin America were operated mostly by landplanes flying relatively short stages and making overnight stops. Representative of these routes was that operated in 1938-39 by Air France between Marseilles and Hong Kong with Dewoitine D.338 trimotors. Total distance was 7,530nm (13,945km) with the longest sector-648nm (1,200km) - being that between Saigon and Hanoi. On their way to the Far East, the D.338s made a total of 18 stops and the fight took a full week. Airborne time totalled 52hrs 20mins.
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