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

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A Singapore Airlines Airbus at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The Singapore-New York flight is the world’s longest by nautical miles, but the airline reserves that title for its route to nearby Newark on the grounds the latter’s scheduled flight time is longer than that to JFK. Photo: Robert Alexander/Getty Images

Published: 8:45pm, 26 Oct 2020Updated: 8:45pm, 26 Oct 2020

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.

The first flight bound for the Big Apple will depart from Singapore on November 9, marking the official return of the city state's flag carrier to New York for the first time since March 22, when services were suspended. The airline ceased services to all United States cities except Los Angeles from April, as restrictions on travel were imposed to help stop the spread of Covid-19.

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 Airbus planes at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline begins flying non-stop direct to New York in November. Photo: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images

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.