SIA takes delivery of jet for world's longest flight lasting 19 hours

SINGAPORE — Singapore Airlines took delivery of the Airbus SE A350-900 ultra long range aircraft to start a non-stop service to New York, a journey of about 19 hours that will become the world's longest.

The first commercial flight between Singapore and Newark Liberty International Airport will be on Oct 11, Singapore Airlines said in a statement on Saturday (Sept 22).

This is the first of the seven A350-900ULRs the carrier has on firm order with Airbus.

Reviving the route that the Singapore flag carrier scrapped more than four years ago will help the airline fill a gap in its United States network that has benefited rivals including Qantas Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways.

Singapore Airlines's new service — which will overtake Qatar Airways' Doha-Auckland route as the world's longest — will initially offer three flights in the first week, increasing to daily from Oct 18.

Singapore Air will use the aircraft for non-stop services to Los Angeles in November.

Some of the features of Singapore Air's A350-900ULR:

➡ The plane is capable of flying about 20 hours non-stop. The flight to New York will cover a distance of approximately 16,700 kilometres, with travelling time of up to 18 hours and 45 minutes

➡ The aircraft is configured in a two-class layout with 67 business class seats and 94 premium economy seats

➡ The ULR is a variant of the A350, with the main change over the standard aircraft being a modified fuel system. This will help the plane carry 165,000 litres of fuel, an increase of 24,000 litres: Airbus

➡ The plane also features a number of aerodynamic enhancements, including extended winglets: Airbus