Singapore Airlines has taken back the crown for the world’s longest commercial airline flight when it relaunched a route yesterday from Changi Airport to New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport.
The 15,329 kilometre, 19-hour Flight SQ22 departed at 15:37GMT from Singapore and has been added back to the carrier’s network after it was grounded in 2013.
Rather than the fuel-guzzling four-engine Airbus A340 it flew five years ago, it now flies the more efficient twin-engine Airbus A350-900 ULR.
The aircraft configuration includes no standard economy class due to concerns over passenger space on a long flight and it carried 161 passengers – 67 in business class and 94 in premium economy with extra leg room.
The route is longer than Qatar Airways’ Doha-Auckland 14,526km 17 hours and 40 minute service, and Qantas Airways’ 14,499km 17 hours and 20 minute London-Perth connection.
Qantas though may soon be gaining the gong for the world’s longest flight as it is set to start a 17,000km Sydney-London route which is set to take 20 hours.
