Singapore Airlines will resume nonstop service to New York by the end of 2018, reclaiming the title for world’s longest flight.
Singapore Airlines served Newark, NJ from 2004 to 2013 using an A340-500 configured exclusively with 100 business class seats. That route was abandoned due to declining revenue and an attractive opportunity to return the aging and gas-guzzling A345s to Airbus.
The new route will be operated by an Airbus 350-900ULR, which competed its first test flight earlier this week. This new aircraft will be able to make the journey nonstop, even with a full cargo load. It can fly up to 11,160 miles nonstop (about 1,800 miles more than a standard A350). Singapore plans to configure the aircraft with two classes of service, business and premium economy.
The new route will overtake Qatar’s Auckland to Doha flight as the world’s longest. The New York to Singapore flight is 9,521 miles and will take 19 hours. Auckland to Doha is 9,032 miles and about 18 hours.
Singapore has not indicated whether it will return to Newark or fly into New York Kennedy instead. If Singapore flies into JFK, I would not expect the historic SQ25 from JFK to Frankfurt to Singapore to necessarily be cut.
Los Angeles in 2019
Singapore also confirmed it would resume nonstop service to Los Angeles in 2019. This route would compete head-on with United Airlines, which began nonstop service to Singapore from Los Angeles last autumn. Singapore also abandoned nonstop flights to Los Angeles in 2013.
> Read More: United Airlines 787-9 Polaris Business Class Los Angeles to Singapore (Inaugural) Review
> Read More: United Airlines 787-9 Business Class Singapore to Los Angeles Review
> Read More: Singapore Airlines A340-500 Business Class Singapore to Los Angeles Review
CONCLUSION
Singapore Airlines has ordered seven Airbus 350-900ULR and is considering other North American destinations as well. At least for now, however, only New York and Los Angeles represent confirmed destinations.
image: Airbus
Hopefully this means there will be more award availability on the JFK-FRA-SIN flight. I noticed after SQ cut the SIN-EWR nonstop flight a few years ago it became harder to find award availability on the JFK-FRA-SIN for J seats.
Have done the JFK to SIN via TYO in Y, did not mind the stop. In fact I needed it, to get up & out, walk around / freshen up. Idea for an article: interview an MD on the effects on the body that a 19 hr flight causes. I know DVT is a real concern, especially for coach passengers.
With both Singapore Airlines being in the Star Alliance (/cartel) Newark allows for far greater code-shares with United’s massive, fortress hub at Newark…
So, my bet is that the SQ NYC-SIN non-stops will use that airport instead of JFK which United doesn’t even serve anymore.
JFK leaves way too many multiples of city pair connections off the table to make that any where near as desirable as using EWR as the gateway for this flight!
Just sayin’ 😉
Also, a great many Asian airlines (except those with nonstops to/from Tokyo) offer double daily (or in Cathay Pacific’s case even more) nonstops to/from their respective Asian hubs, including late night/very early AM (as in ~11pm – 2am-ish) departures, from JFK Airport…
…whereas as at Newark there are far fewer Asian-based airlines (Air China, Air India & Cathay Pacific only), not nearly as much competition in general, and especially for the ~11pm departure time used by SQ when they last operated their EWR-SIN nonstops which would leave it with only one other airline, Cathay Pacific, offering service from Newark to Asia that allows for a full work day and/or time to eat dinner before taking off their long, overnight flight!
By contrast, at JFK, half a dozen (or more) airlines have flights departing between 11pm and 3am (Philippines Airlines nonstops beginning later this year are currently scheduled to depart for Manila at 3am) to Asia – plus whatever other daytime flights many of the Asian airlines operate to/from JFK, too.
Can someone educate me why SQ do not fly to ORD? Thank you!