New Longhaul Record

[twistedenginestarter]

Singapore Airlines was due to make history yesterday by setting a record for the world’s longest scheduled flight, carrying passengers on a 16-hour, non-stop journey from Singapore to Los Angeles. The airline is using an Airbus A345 for the route, carrying 117 passengers. The return journey takes eighteen and a half hours, two hours faster than the existing route via Taiwan. Passengers are given two meals on the day-long flight and will get “warm snacks” if they feel peckish. The aircraft also has a “passengers’ corner” where people can stretch their legs and socialise. The initiative is a response to strong demand from business travellers on the route, which stretches 7,937 miles over the Pacific. Singapore Airlines placed an order with Anglo-French Airbus for 10 A345s six years ago, in a deal worth $2.2bn (£1.2bn). The airline is planning to launch an 18-hour direct service from Singapore to New York later this year. At present, the world’s longest scheduled non-stop flights include United Airlines’ service from Chicago to Hong Kong, which takes 15 hours 50 minutes. Most flights between the United States and south-east Asia have involved a stop at an intermediate hub such as Tokyo or Taipei. Singapore Airlines is the sixth largest international carrier in the world according to IATA rankings, carrying 14.7m passengers a year.

[golfyankeesierra]

high consumer?

Any 340-jock who could estimate the blockfuel for that kind of flight? 117 tonnes would be a nice figure (a ton per passenger).

[Flight Level Zero]

The aircraft also has a “passengers’ corner” where people can stretch their legs and socialise

Surely the US authorities will stop passengers socialising.

[Longtimer]

Only if it is close to a toilet.

[Lemurian]

Anglo-French Airbus

What izzat?

[WHBM]

carrying 117 passengers

It will only carry 117 pax if they don't sell any business class seats. The configuration is 64 J (6-across) and 117 Y (7-across), a total of 181 seats.

[twistedenginestarter]

Standard capacity for this type of aircraft looks to be 313 passengers. Mind you those economy seats are pretty impressive:

This new SIA class of travel will offer 117 Executive Economy Class seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, with a seat pitch of 37" and a seat-back incline of 8". It will also feature a seat width of 20", a leather adjustable headrest, an innovative leg rest and foot rest, and a 9" personal video monitor for in-flight entertainment.

[Jet II]

Its all very well there only being 181 seats as opposed to the normal 313 - but you are still going to be sat in a tin-can for 18 hours

Thats way to much for an oldie like me

[Jerricho]

Jet II beat me to it.

I usually get my "8 hour sense of humour failure" on the trip back home.

This way I can get twice!

[timzsta]

Singapore to New York. Now there is a great example of the Great Circle technique. Wonder how far north it will route?

[twistedenginestarter]

You're right. SIN-JFK is 8300nm over the pole. Not much leeway there to skirt south.

[Pax Vobiscum]

If you've got time to stopover for 2/3 days mid-route that's clearly better, but if I have to do it as a single trip I'd rather go 16 hrs nonstop than 19 or 22 hrs with 1 or 2 stops en route - just my preference

Can anyone tell me how many flightdeck crew they need to do this - would they need three different pairs? Just curious ...

[CargoOne]

Pax Vobiscum,

but if I have to do it as a single trip I'd rather go 16 hrs nonstop than 19 or 22 hrs with 1 or 2 stops en route - just my preference

That's because you are not smoking, presumably... All smokers are voting for stops en-route.

[Spearing Britney]

2 crews with 2 rest periods each they tell me...

[witchdoctor]

2 meals in 16 hrs? Not exactly spoiling them are they?

Wonder if the smokers corner is outside.

[Felix Lighter]

For the flight crew a round trip must be vic. 42 duty hrs....... not bad, only 2 trips per month and you'd go into over time!

One take-off/landing per month each too

[Freeway]

Surely this type of operation demands a smoking section. As a non smoker I have never had the pangs associated with the addiction to nicotine. I am, however, sympathetic to smokers on journeys that are of this specific length.

......and don't call me Shirley.

[WHBM]

Regarding smoking

Maybe the airline can "advise" smokers to take the flight that stops over at Narita instead. There's still this choice for them.

A noticeable thing about "air rage" reports was their rise a few years ago coincided with the withdrawl of smoking accommodation. It often gets blamed on booze but I always wonder if the real reason is the addicts being denied their nicotine in a way they are not used to. Any analysis on how many air rage attackers are smokers ?

[Max Angle]

Surely this type of operation demands a smoking section

It certainly does NOT. As an ex-smoker I can testify that gum or patches work very well in curing the hunger for nicotine when you can't smoke. Perhaps SIA could hand them out to smokers, not as nice as nice strong Marlboro but that's too bad.

[av8boy]

18+ hours in the old aluminum sensory-deprivation tube, eh? "Oh look! There's the ocean!" Then, "oh look! There's the ocean!" 14 hours later... "oh look! There's the ocean!" I'd worry less about deep vein thrombosis and more about suicide attempts.

Dave