Singapore Airlines to launch world's longest flight

JAKARTA: Singapore Airlines said on Wednesday that it will relaunch the world’s longest commercial flight in October, a journey of almost 19 hours from the city-state to New York, but it will not be available to economy travellers. 

The daily, non-stop journey from Changi to Newark Airport will cover about 16,700 kilometres (10,300 miles) and take about 18 hours 45 minutes, the airline said in a statement.

The current record holder is Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes.

The Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight will use the long-range Airbus A350-900ULR, which will be configured to carry 161 passengers — 67 in business class and 94 in premium economy.

The airline had flown a similar route from 2004 until 2013 but cancelled it as it fell short of revenue expectations. However, its latest decision comes as carriers look for new sources of revenue in a competitive environment, while long-haul flights often make more cash than those that require stops.

There are also plans for a non-stop route from Singapore to Los Angeles using the same plane, the airline said.

Analysts said the decision to have no economy class was an attempt to promote the airline to wealthy customers.