Singapore Airlines has taken delivery of the world’s first Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft. The ultra-long-range plane will start flying non-stop between Singapore and New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport from Oct 11.

This will be the world’s longest commercial flight.

SIA chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong said it was a “proud moment” for the airline.

“The A350-900ULR will bring more convenience and comfort to our customers… It will help us boost our network competitiveness and further grow the Singapore hub,” he said.

Mr Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, said: “The combination of the A350’s quiet, spacious cabin and SIA’s world-renowned in-flight product will ensure the highest levels of passenger comfort on the world’s very longest routes.”

In its statement yesterday, SIA said the 16,700km flight will take up to 18hr 45min, and have 67 business class seats and 94 in premium economy.

The aircraft, which is capable of travelling for over 20 hours without stopping, also comes with higher ceilings, larger windows, a wider body, quieter cabins and lighting designed to reduce jet lag.

It will also have improved air quality due to a carbon composite airframe that optimises cabin altitude and humidity levels.

Singapore’s national carrier has ordered seven such planes, two of which will fly the Singapore-New York route. The remaining five will fly non-stop between Singapore and Los Angeles from Nov 2 and increase the frequency of an existing Singapore-San Francisco route.

Currently, SIA operates 40 US-bound flights a week. With the new flights, this will increase to 53 by December. SIA previously offered the world’s longest non-stop flight with its Singapore-Newark route from 2004 to 2013.

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