Singapore Airlines is all set to regain the crown of the world’s longest flight operator, five years after they gave it away by shutting down the Singapore – Newark and Singapore – Los Angeles operations (the world’s longest and second longest flights). They shut down the route given the route economics did not work for them anymore with a gas-guzzling A340-500 on the route. So they gave them back to Airbus, who instead set out to work on the A350-900ULR for them.
Now, Singapore Airlines will launch the world’s longest commercial flights in October 2018, with non-stop services between Singapore and New York using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range). Last month, the first test flight of the aircraft was completed.
Flights are to be launched on 11 October 2018, to Newark Liberty International Airport. The route will initially be served three times a week, departing Singapore on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Daily operations will commence from 18 October after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service. The first A350-900ULR is due for delivery in September, with all seven due for delivery by the end of the year.
SQ is the world’s first customer for the new A350-900ULR, with seven on firm order with Airbus. The aircraft will be configured in a two-class layout, with 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats, just as we predicted in April. Tickets will be made available for sale pretty soon.
It seems SQ has gone ahead with the same business class seats they are using on the current A350s, instead of a new product. At least that is what the picture with the press note depicts.
The Premium Economy looks good too!
The flight will cover a distance of approximately 9,000nm (16,700km), and travelling time will be up to 18hrs 45min. Non-stop Singapore-Los Angeles flights are also planned with the A350-900ULR, details of which will be announced at a later date. Its Singapore-Frankfurt-New York John F. Kennedy service will continue to be in operation.
Bottomline
This is one flight I’ve been looking forward to for the longest time. I sure do hope Singapore Airlines gets a great response to this flight on an ongoing basis.
Have you been on the world’s longest flight? How do you spend 19 hours up in the air?
Able to book yet?
I did that flight in business class in 2004. Pretty easy to do with a lie flat. Lots of movies, fell asleep and woke up three different times on the way, quite disoriented on one of them. Singapore knows how to take care of you.