Singapore Airlines (SIA) said on  30 May that it will launch the world's longest commercial flight from October 11, a journey of almost 19 hours from the city-state to New York, the US.

Illustrative image (Source: Internet)

The non-stop journey will cover about 16,700km and take about 18 hours and 45 minutes, three hours longer than the current record holder – the flight from Australia’s Perth to London, the UK run by Qatar Airways.

SIA will use the long-range Airbus A350-900 ULR with three flights per week from Changi airport on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. It will later operate daily flights from October 18 when the fleet is added.

Managing Director of Changi Airport Group Lim Ching Kiat said SIA is the world’s first customer for the new A350-900ULR, an ultra-long range version of the fuel-efficient twin-engine A350 jet. It expects the first aircraft to be delivered in September. Seven more planes of its kind are due for delivery by the end of the year.

(Source: VNA)