SIA To Launch World's Longest Commercial Flights
Non-stop flights from Singapore to New York from October
Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch the non-stop services between Singapore and New York using the new Airbus A350-900ULR (ultralong-range) on 11th October 2018, to Newark Liberty International Airport. The route will initially be served three times a week, departing Singapore on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Daily operations will commence from 18th October after an additional A350900ULR aircraft enters service.
SIA is the world's first customer for the new A350-900ULR, with seven on firm order with Airbus. The aircraft will be configured in a two-class layout, with 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats. Flights will cover a distance of approximately 16,700km with travelling time about 18hrs 45mins. Singapore Airlines
served the Singapore-newark route until 2013, when services were suspended after the aircraft used at the time, Airbus A340-500s, were returned to Airbus.
The A350-900ULR will offer customers a more comfortable travelling experience with features such as higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body and lighting designed to reduce jetlag. Its carbon composite airframe also allows for improved air quality due to a more optimised cabin altitude and humidity levels. Singapore Airlines currently has 21 A350-900s in its fleet, with 46 more on order including seven of the ULR variant. The first A350-900ULR is due for delivery in September, with all seven due for delivery by the end of the year.
Singapore Airlines currently serves New York JFK, daily via Frankfurt. Other US destinations include Houston (five times weekly via Manchester), Los Angeles (daily via Seoul and daily via Tokyo), and San Francisco (daily nonstop from Singapore as well as daily via Hong Kong). Non-stop Singaporelos Angeles flights are also planned with the A350-900ULR, details will be announced at a later date.
Minister and sports celebrities such as Formula One legend Niki Lauda, Dakar Rally winner Matthias Walkner, threetime Ironman World Champion Daniela Ryf and America's Cup winner Jimmy Spithill. As well as Paralympic and Olympic Champions including recordsetting skier Aksel Lund Svindal, who “drove” the Virtual Catcher Car of the Wings for Life World Run App.
The run's simultaneous start, night or day, sun or rain, spanned every corner of the Earth, from Australia to Colombia and the United Kingdom to Kazakhstan, and as always, the unique format with a moving finish line of Catcher Cars added to the excitement. Boosting the location count to a new high this year were caring people all over the world, who organised group runs with the App, inspiring others to join them for a day of fun while making a difference for others.
Running in Sunrise, USA, Swede Anderson earned his second consecutive Global Championship by outpacing the Catcher Car to 89.85km in an everyday wheelchair. While in Munich, Germany, Nunes ran hard to capture the women's crown with a distance of 53.78km, a margin of just 50 metres over Croatia's Nikolina Šustic´. Thirty-year-old Anderson, who now holds the two longest distances in the event's history revealed, “I was so tired, but I wanted to keep pushing so that maybe we could raise more money and make more of a difference. Everything hurts right now, but this is amazing!”
One hundred percent of entry fees and donations raised in the Wings for Life World Run, over three million euros in the 2018 edition alone with more still coming in, goes to leading-edge research funded by the non-profit Wings for Life foundation. The date for the 6th edition of the Wings for Life World Run is Sunday, May 5th 2019.