Image: Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines launched the first flight of its newly reopened nonstop route from Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) on Thursday. The Airbus A350-900ULR departed SIN with 150 passengers and 17 crew members onboard. The flight is expected to travel approximately 8,285 NM and be in the air for an estimated 18 hours and 25 minutes, making it the longest nonstop commercial flight currently available. The airline first flew the route in 2004 with an A340-500 but cancelled it in 2013, reportedly due to rising fuel costs.
“Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers, and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new nonstop flights using the latest-technology, ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR,” said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong. “The flights will offer our customers the fastest way to travel between the two cities—in great comfort, together with Singapore Airlines’ legendary service—and will help boost connectivity to and through the Singapore hub.”
The Singapore Airlines route is the latest in a series of opening or restarting nonstop ultra-long-range routes, including Qantas’ 17-hour Perth to London route and Qatar Airways’ 17.5-hour Auckland to Doha flight. Qantas has already announced plans for even longer routes in the future and has asked both Boeing and Airbus to come up with proposals for aircraft capable of regular nonstop 20-plus-hour flights. Qantas is hoping to open a Sydney to London route by 2022.
