Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) announced that it would once again return to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on November 9, 2020, flying a direct itinerary from its hub, Changi Airport (SIN).
The flight will overtake Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) flight from Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) as the world’s longest commercial scheduled flight, beating it by a measly four kilometers in distance. The airline will operate the flight with an Airbus A350-900, configured with 42 business, 24 premium economy and 187 economy class seats. However, the main reason why the flag carrier of Singapore is returning to JFK is cargo.
“Operating to JFK International Airport would allow Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) to better accommodate a mix of passenger and cargo traffic on its services to New York in the current operating climate,” read the airline’s statement. In addition, the non-stop services will be further boosted by the growing amount of transfer passengers at Changi Airport (SIN).
Apart from the newly-announced flights to JFK, Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) also flies to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the United States. It will continue to assess the demand for travel to the United States, before “deciding to reinstate services to other points in the country,” reads the carrier’s statement.
“Despite the challenging times for the airline industry, there are some early signs of optimism about a recovery in air travel,” stated Executive Vice President Commercial of Singapore Airlines Lee Lik Hsin. The robust health and safety measures onboard aircraft, including testing, only increase passenger confidence, added Hsin.
“The fundamental importance of air travel remains unchanged despite the pandemic.”
Previously, the title of the world’s longest flight was given to the airline’s SIN-EWR route, which would take 18 hours and 25 minutes. The SIN-JFK flight will be slightly faster, with a total travel time of 18 hours and five minutes. However, the return journey from the U.S. East Coast will take passengers 18 hours and 40 minutes. In addition, Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) previously flew to JFK, but it stopped over at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany, before finally landing in the Big Apple.
In comparison, Qantas Project Sunrise flight from New York to Sydney took 19 hours and 30 minutes to complete.