Singapore Airlines begins longest flight
Singapore Airlines today launched the world’s longest commercial service – an 18-and-a-half hour, 10,335-mile non-stop flight between Singapore and New York.
Passengers of flight SQ22 boarded the plane to the strains of Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” today.
The 181-seat Airbus 340-500 took off just after midday for New York’s Newark airport.
Singapore Airlines said the new service cut down the flight time by four hours as the plane did not need a refuelling stop.
The new flight beats the current longest flight both in terms of flying time and distance covered, an airline spokeswoman said.
The previous record was also held by Singapore Airlines for its Los Angeles service, which covers the 9,173 miles in 16 hours, she said.
The A340-500 was designed for long-haul flights, with additional space in both economy and business class.
Passengers also have a self-service snack area, and an area to mingle and stretch their legs.
