Singapore Airlines is set to launch the world’s longest flight and it will be in the air for 19 hours. Airbus is due to unveil its new A350-900 Ultra Long-Range (ULR) jet later this year, and Singapore will reportedly be the first airline to receive the plane, which had its first test flight earlier this month.
This means that Singapore Airlines plans to connect Singapore and New York by the end of the year, covering a whopping 9,521 miles in 19 hours.
The aircraft is able to fly up to 11,150 miles, about 1,800 more than the standard A350. According to Travel + Leisure, the airline plans to operate two classes on the flight — business and premium economy. The plane will also reportedly be “fitted with lighting to combat jet lag and an air circulation system that renews the air every two minutes.” The longest flight in the world is currently Auckland, New Zealand to Doha, Qatar with Qatar Airways, which travels 9,032 miles and takes 18 hours, closely followed by Qantas’ Perth, Australia to London, England leg, which flies 9,009 miles and takes just over 17 hours. Singapore has apparently ordered seven of the ULR jets, and will use them to increase its long-haul service, including a non-stop 15-hour flight to Los Angeles starting in 2019.