It looks like Singapore Airlines will be heading to the Guinness Book of World Records with this new major news! According to Thrillist, the airline will launch a new plane route from New York City to Singapore, which will make the entire journey the longest commercial flight in the world.
The trek between these two major cities will cover more than 10,000 miles and will last about 19 hours — 18 hours and 45 minutes, to be exact. Yikes. That sounds like an Ambien-filled type of flight if you ask me. Thankfully, we’ve got a list of audible books for this sort of long flight.
Qatar Airways currently holds the record for the longest-running commercial flight, which departs from Doha, Qatar and arrives in Auckland, New Zealand. This flight spans over 17 hours and covers about 9,000 miles.
Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong issued a statement about his company’s new milestone. “This is a proud moment for both Singapore Airlines and Airbus,” he said, “not only because we have again strengthened our partnership, but also because we have pushed the limits with this highly advanced new aircraft to extend long-range flying to new lengths.”
Airbus CEO Tom Enders also added his two cents about the exciting achievement. “Today’s delivery is a milestone for Airbus and Singapore Airlines, as together we open a new chapter in non-stop air travel.”
The 10,000-mile journey, the first of its kind, will be flown by Airbus A350-900ULR, an aircraft that was built specifically for long voyages. These planes were designed to fly as far as 11,1672 miles without stopping. Singapore Airplanes has already ordered six more of these planes. By the end of 2018, the company hopes to have a total of 27 aircrafts taking routes to Singapore from all across the United States, including some taking off from Los Angeles, as well.
So, let’s buy those tickets, travel fanatics! Singapore is calling and it’ll now be easier than ever before to visit.