My first time aboard a 'number 1' flight. What airlines can you travel on

The one between Mexico City and Madrid was for me the First time on a 'flight number 1'.

That is, one of those that for the companies are the most important or significant in their schedules, whether because of the importance of the destination, because of the historical ties between the country of origin and the country of destination of a connection or, even, because of the aircraft employed.

In my case it was a 'normal' Boeing 787-9 of the national airline of Mexico, a country for which Madrid is, as for all of Latin America, the historical reference city, somewhat as London is for the many member states of the Commonwealth (former colonies of the British Empire) and Paris is for so many countries of North and Central West Africa.

For this reason, Aeromexico assigned one of its six daily flights (three rotations) between Mexico City and Madrid the code AM 1.

In fact, the initials AF001 and BA001 identified two of the flights that Air France and British Airways operated daily to New York's JFK airport by bison jet from their hubs in Paris Charles De Gaulle and London Heathrow.

When, in November 20023, the Concorde was pulled the plug, Air France for several years sent the number 1 to the attic while British, rather melancholically it must be said, assigned it to its daily all-Business link between London and New York operated with ... an Airbus A319!

Then when that modest and clumsy attempt to bring back the glory (if not the speed) of Concorde ended, BA001 was sent to the attic and to date the British airline does not have its own No. 1 flight.

It is back, however, to have it, Air France, which has assigned it to one of its routes between New York JFK and Paris CDG: operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, it leaves the Big Apple every day at 4:30 p.m. to land in the Ville Lumière at 5:45 a.m. the next morning.

This may sound surprising, but, globally, not very many companies have a 'number 1 flight.' In all, there are just over 20, most of which are concentrated in North America, Europe and the Gulf area. And they all or most say there are two capitals of the world: New York and London, although there are some truly amazing 'number 1s'.

Two of these are in Europe: Lufthansa's LH1 flight, which is an anonymous Hamburg-Frankfurt operated daily but with various aircraft (A319, A320 and A321) with scheduled departure at 6 a.m. and arrival at 7:10 a.m.

The other is Scandinavian Airlines' SK1, which connects the Swedish city of Lulea to the capital Stockholm every day using an Airbus A320neo with takeoff at 6:00 a.m. and landing at 7:35 a.m.

The other three European No. 1s are definitely more up to the task: they are the Finnair's AY 001 operated with an Airbus A350-900 Helsinki-Los Angeles.

From TK1 of Turkish Istanbul-New York JFK operated with a Boeing 777-300ER  and (considering, as we do in the sports context) Israel in the Old Continent, of the El Al's LY1, a Boeing 787-9 that connects tel Aviv to New York JFK every day.

The undisputed reign of 'number 1s', however, is North America, although these are not always what are called 'flagship routes' in English.

All three Stars and Stripes majors have it: the Delta Airlines New York (JFK)-London (LHR), operated with an Airbus A330-200, lo United Airlines San Francisco-Singapore operated with a Boeing 787-9, American Airlines New York (JFK) Los Angeles International (Airbus A321-200).

And then also Alaska Airlines on Washington Ronald Reagan-Seattle operated with a Boeing 737 MAX 8, Southwest Airlines between Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby with Boeing 737-700 e Jetblue between New York (JFK) and Fort Lauderdale (Airbus A320/A321).

In Canada there are Air Canada's AC1, a Boeing 777-300ER Toronto- Tokyo Haneda at 4:40 p.m., and the Westjet's WS1, a Boeing 787-9 London Heathrow-Calgary.

In the Middle East Could the three 'big three of the Gulf', in their grandeur, deprive themselves of 'number 1'? No. And, indeed, we have Emirates' EK1 connecting Dubai to London with an Airbus A380, Qatar Airways' QR1, a 777-300ER connecting Doha to the British capital and the EY1 Abu Dhabi-New York operated with an Airbus A350-1000.

Outside the Gulf, in all of Asia, there are only three other No. 1 flights: the London Heathrow-Kuala Lumpur (MH1) of Malaysia Airlines (with Airbus A350), the Japan Airlines (JL1) San Francisco-Tokyo Haneda (Boeing 787-8), and the Royal Brunei Airlines BI1 operating between Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei's capital) and Jeddah with a Boeing 787-8.

In Oceania, the 'number 1s' are two: the QF1 of Qantas traveling along the Kangaroo Route Between Sydney and London Heathrow (via Singapore) on an Airbus A380 and the Air New Zealand's NZ1 connecting New York (JFK) to Aukland with a Boeing 787-9.

Returning, finally, to where we started, namely. to Latin America, across the continent only one other airline (besides Aeromexico) has a number 1 flight: this is Latam, whose LA1 flies between Santiago de Chile and Puerto Natales with an Airbus A320neo. In short, as they say, all that glitters is not gold.

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