It’s the world’s longest flight, but it’s not: why Singapore Airlines is splitting hairs over its new service to New York
- Singapore Airlines has announced its first non-stop direct flights between Singapore Changi Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
- It is the world’s longest flight by nautical miles, but the airline is reserving the ‘longest flight’ title for another route based on its scheduled flight time
Singapore Airlines announced the latest addition to its route network last week: non-stop flights between Singapore and New York, which will begin next month.
It will also mark the first non-stop flight between Singapore and New York City, as the airline's other non-stop route to the region uses Newark Liberty International Airport, in nearby New Jersey.
The 8,287-nautical-mile length of the new route technically earns it the title of “world's longest flight” by distance, but that's now how the airline sees it. A Singapore Airlines spokesman says that SQ21/22, the non-stop flights between Singapore and Newark, will still hold the title in the airline's book despite being shorter than the New York route by two nautical miles.
Singapore Airlines is holding firm that the launch of New York flights isn't a resumption of the Singapore-Newark flights – which will return as demand and restrictions dictate – nor will they replace the New York-Frankfurt-Singapore route, which was also suspended earlier this year. These flights are entirely new and have their own flight numbers, SQ23 and SQ24.
Singapore Airlines resumed its place at the top of the world's longest flight list in 2018, when the Singapore-Newark route was relaunched. Equipped with a new aircraft capable of performing the job more efficiently, the route resumed after a five-year hiatus. Non-stop flights between Singapore and Newark had initially launched in 2004, using four-engine Airbus A340-500 aircraft.
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The 2018 relaunch was celebrated as an aviation milestone and a feather in the cap of Singapore Airlines. The route's travellers were saving a few hours and a stopover in Frankfurt, Germany.
Now, even with the resumption of flights to the New York area and a longer route, the airline isn't breaking out the confetti to celebrate a new world's longest flight. A Singapore Airlines spokesman says that the official reason for that is because the airline measures a flight's length by block time, or the duration for which flight is scheduled, and not by distance.
The Newark to Singapore flight is scheduled for 18 hours and 45 minutes, five minutes longer than the planned New York to Singapore flights. Despite aircraft having to fly a longer route by mileage, the return flight from New York is only scheduled at 18 hours and 40 minutes.
A flight's scheduled time, however, can change based on a variety of factors. Headwinds and weather re-routes, for example, can increase times, while tailwinds can bring them down.
In terms of mileage, however, the Singapore-Newark route is 8,285 nautical miles, while Singapore-New York is 8,287.
So, according to Singapore Airlines, the route to New York will be the second-longest in the airline's network, and Singapore-Newark will retain the title of the world's longest flight, based on flight time.
Though flying non-stop between Singapore and New York is still a monumental achievement, the flight won't be available for just anybody to take, yet. Only when more countries – including Singapore – welcome Americans again, and international tourism and business travel is an accepted practice once more, will the airline see this flight filled.
Singapore is a major regional transit hub for cargo in Southeast Asia, and the new route will be among the fastest options for shippers looking to get goods to the US Northeast or vice versa. New York was chosen over Newark for non-stop flights because John F. Kennedy International Airport has a Singapore Airlines cargo facility that can better handle the cargo being shipped.
For passengers, Singapore Airlines flights use Terminal 4, the largest at the airport. Lounge access is limited during the pandemic and, while the airline does not have its own lounge, business class and select frequent flier elites can use those of others.
The New York route will be operated by the Airbus A350-900 XWB, a long-haul leader that's well represented on the list of the world's longest flights. A modified variant, The A350-900 ULR, or ultra-long-range, served the Newark route before its suspension.
The most notable difference between the two aircraft from a passenger perspective is the cabin configuration. The Newark-bound aircraft are configured in a two-class configuration, with only business and premium economy class seating.
On this new route to New York, however, the standard A350 configuration is 42 business class seats, 24 premium economy class seats, and 187 economy class seats. That means some passengers will be spending nearly 19 hours in economy.
