Plane lands in US after world’s longest flight
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NEW YORK: An Airbus jetliner arrived in Newark on Friday after a nearly 18-hour trip from Singapore, completing the world’s longest commercial flight.
It marked the revival of a route that had been eliminated in 2013.
Singapore Airlines Flight SQ22 arrived at 5.29am (0929 GMT), having left Singapore’s Changi airport at 11.23pm on Thursday. That made for a flight of 17 hours and 52 minutes.
The flight had been scheduled to take 18 hours and 25 minutes.
The plane carried 150 passengers and 17 crew members as it travelled 10,250 miles (16,500 kilometres).
“I feel perfectly well rested,” said Kristopher Alladin, a 37-year-old Canadian. “I’m lucky because I’m able to sleep on the plane.”
Flying from New York to Singapore would be a longer journey, lasting an estimated 18 hours and 45 minutes.
The first flight in that direction took off from Newark on Friday morning.
Singapore Airlines only offers premium economy and business seats on the flight — no regular economy seats.
“Although you’re in premium eco, you feel like you’re in first class,” said Alladin, adding that he had taken the same flight in 2008. “The flight was very smooth, very quiet.”
“The flight was great, smooth, enjoyable and ended too fast!” said Danny Ong, an engineer and flight enthusiast from Singapore, after landing in Newark.
“We were served a supper of three choices after takeoff. I slept soundly, woke up and realised [there were] around eight hours left,” said Ong, who took the first flight back to Singapore, straight after landing in Newark.
Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018
