Cyrano: There are already two full FD crews on SIN nonstops, as far as I’m aware. For the extra five or so hours the unions would demand a fifth and even a sixth pilot, with dedicated bunk rest. And what about the cabin crew? They would need significant augmentation and far better onboard rest facilities.
But that’s only half the point. As you may or may not have noticed from the R&N forums, the European airlines are currently locked in an extremely bitter battle with the unions over the harmonisation of European FTL rules. The airlines’ goal is to come up with a package which will provide stability and predictability on what they actually and realistically want, which is nonstop capability to destinations defined by a perimeter of about 15-16 hours flying time, that is to say China, Japan, Singapore, Buenos Aires, W Coast USA.
There is a strong possibility that the airlines will get the package they want, or something pretty close, but it has been (and continues to be, as long as the issue is ‘live’) extremely bruising. Bear in mind that at one point the unions’ demands, based on the infamous Moebus Report, would have meant an end to nonstops by European airlines to Tokyo, HK, SIN etc (actually, double crew with a week’s hotel at the other end to ‘acclimatise’ for the journey home).
So, assuming the new EASA rules meet the airlines’ requirements, there is NO WAY that they will reopen the debate in the foreseeable future for the sake of a once a day nonstop with half the aircraft configured for those business passengers who absolutely need to save two hours, and the other half full of active and supernumerary crew and their rest facilities.