Pack your bags; the Big Apple is calling. This route on Singapore Airlines (SIA) is not exactly new—the airline used to fly direct to New York from 2004 to 2013 on the Airbus A340-500s, which were later returned to Airbus. Come October, this non-stop service will become the world’s longest commercial flight, on the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range).
SIA will depart from Singapore and fly directly to Newark Liberty International Airport from Oct 11 three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday; and later on, daily from Oct 18, once the additional aircrafts have entered the airline’s service. In true Singapore fashion, SIA is also the world’s first customers of this new aircraft, with one arriving in September and the other six arriving by the end of the year. It’ll fly 161 customers—67 on Business Class and 94 on Premium Economy Class—about 18 hours and 45 minutes to arrive in Newark, covering a distance of about 16,700 kilometers. Tickets are already available online, and a quick check on SIA’s website states that a one-way flight to New York on Oct 15, Monday, will cost $6,681.20 on Business Class and $2,961.20 on Premium Economy (accurate as of May 31).
Premium Economy Class seats on the A350ULR
Business Class seats on the A350ULR
At the moment, you can fly to New York’s John F, Kennedy International Airport daily via Frankfurt, which will take a total of 23 hours and 15 minutes (incl. a 1 hour 50 minutes stopover). There are also plans for a new non-stop Singapore-Los Angeles flight on the new aircraft, but details will only roll out later in the year.
