Covid-19, the best time to take the world’s longest flight? Singapore Airlines’ new 19-hour route to New York is a real test of how much we miss flying
The first non-stop direct flight between Singapore and New York recently launched – but with health declaration requirements and Americans unable to enter Singapore at all, is now the best time to board?
Flights on Singapore Airlines’ newest route started on November 9, offering the only non-stop direct journey between Singapore and New York City.
In pre-pandemic days, the airline operated return flights to Singapore from JFK with an Airbus A380, requiring a stop in Frankfurt, Germany, but now the route is being flown using an Airbus A350-900 XWB that can make the trip non-stop, especially with fewer-than-normal passengers.
Covering a distance of 15,350km (8,287 nautical miles), the route is the longest in the world measured by mileage, overtaking Singapore Airlines’ recently relaunched non-stop route to nearby Newark, New Jersey by a mere 3.7km (two nautical miles). The airline doesn’t see it that way, however, preferring to measure “longest” by the flight’s duration.
Flight times for the route are scheduled at a whopping 18 hours and five minutes on the New York-bound leg, flight SQ24, and 18 hours and 40 minutes for the flight back to Singapore, flight SQ23. The Newark route is a touch longer at 18 hours 45 minutes.
The non-stop flight is a big achievement for the airline but because of the circumstances, there were none of the traditional inaugural celebrations, speeches by ambassadors about the importance of the route, or festivities at the departure gate.
Face masks must be worn for the entire flight, and passengers must have their temperature taken and submit a health declaration to the airline at check-in.
The route comes at a difficult time for international travel, of course. Americans can’t enter Singapore at all, either for tourism or business, so carrying cargo will help the airline pay the bills for this flight. For that reason, the new flights use Terminal Four at JFK, where Singapore Airlines has a cargo facility.
Three cabins – business, premium economy and economy – are offered and we toured the aircraft before the inaugural flight to see what it’s like aboard.