Singapore Airlines resumed the world's longest commercial flight after five years on Thursday, October 11.
The near-19 hour non-stop flight from Singapore to New York is a major boost to the national carrier's US presence.
On top of that, SIA also intends to restart non-stop services to Los Angeles and add more non-stop flights to San Francisco next month.
According to a Reuters report, the airline has already ordered seven new ultra-long range twin-engine Airbus SE A350-900ULRs. These aircrafts are fitted with just 161 business class and premium economy seats – and no economy class seats.
SIA's marathon Newark and Los Angeles routes were abandoned back in 2013 when high fuel prices made the use of four-engine Airbus A340-500 jets uneconomic. It has since flown to New York's JFK Airport via Frankfurt and to Los Angeles via Tokyo and Seoul, said the report.
Typically, non-stop ultra-long haul flights can command an airfare premium of around 20 percent as compared to those with stopovers. This is due to their popularity with time-sensitive business travellers.