INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 (R) lands at Singapore International Changi airport (AFP)SINGAPORE:
Singapore Airlines said on Wednesday that it will relaunch the world's longest commercial flight in October, a journey of almost 19 hours
from the city-state to New York, but it will not be available to economy travellers.The daily, non-stop journey from Changi to Newark
Airport will cover about 16,700 kilometres (10,300 miles) and take about 18 hours 45 minutes, the airline said in a statement.The current
record holder is Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes
The Singapore Airlines flight will use the long-range Airbus A350-900ULR, which will be configured to carry 161 passengers - 67 in
business class and 94 in premium economy.The airline had flown a similar route from 2004 until 2013 but cancelled it as it fell short of
However, its latest decision comes as carriers look for new sources of revenue in a competitive environment, while long-haul flights often
make more cash than those that require stops.There are also plans for a non-stop route from Singapore to Los Angeles using the same plane,
the airline said.The new route comes as the city-state's flag carrier faces tough challenges.Last year, it consolidated its low-cost units
TigerAir and Scoot into a single entity in a streamlining exercise.And this month it said it will absorb its struggling premium regional
wing, SilkAir, into the broader group following a multi-million-dollar upgrade as part of reforms to stay competitive.(Except for the
headline, this story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
