Spotlight on: Ultra-long-haul travel
The record for the longest scheduled flight in the world will change hands once again in October, but is the thought of a 19-hour flight a turn-off for too many?
Singapore Airlines will introduce the world's longest commercial flight this autumn, a non-stop service between Singapore and New York Newark. The 16,700km flight will take up to a bum-numbing 18hrs 45mins and operate on a daily basis from October 18.
The airline has in fact operated the same service as recently as 2013 but new aircraft from Airbus are enabling SIA to have another attempt at making it profitable.
As technology and manufacturing improve, airlines are pushing the limits of long-haul travel. Fuel efficiency is the key, and Singapore Airlines is the first carrier in the world to take delivery of the new A350900ULR – ULR stands for ultra long range.
The airline's new operation, which will trim four to five hours off its current service via Frankfurt, will usurp Qatar Airways' 14,530km service between Doha and Auckland launched in spring 2017.
In turn, the non-stop service between London and Perth, launched by Qantas only this March using B787-9 Dreamliners, will be bumped down to third, at 14,500km.
The Australian airline is also hoping to go non-stop between London and Sydney in the next few years, potentially using A350900ULRS or Boeing 777X aircraft, a service that would once again raise the bar.
Airlines typically charge higher fares on non-stop services than on their indirect options, but is there also an element of one-upmanship spurring them on?
“Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers, and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new non-stop flights using the latest-technology, ultralong-range Airbus A350-900ULR,” says the airline's CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.
That's all very well, but is it really in passengers' best interests to save a few hours by being buckled into the same seat for 18 hours? It is significant that Singapore Airlines' forthcoming service will have no economy seating on-board and instead offer just 67 business class seats and 94 seats in premium economy, both pictured above (return fares in the latter cabin start from £1,250 including taxes). The airline also stresses the “more comfortable travelling experience” delivered by the new aircraft, including improved air quality and lighting, optimised cabin altitude and humidity levels, plus higher ceilings and larger windows.
By the end of the year Singapore Airlines will have seven A350-900ULRS in its fleet, with non-stop flights to Los Angeles also planned. It is clear the limits of long-haul travel will continue to be tested.
Airlines typically charge higher fares on non-stop services than on their indirect options, but is there also an element of one-upmanship spurring the airlines on?”