The world’s longest, 18 hours scheduled passenger flight is ready to take off again. The flight will re-start on November 9 between Singapore and New York.
According to CNN, there’s just one difference the US airport will switch from Newark, NJ, to JFK. Which pushes the distance up to 9,536.5 miles.
The airport switch will allow the airline to “better accommodate a mix of passenger and cargo… in the current operating climate,” Singapore Airlines announced in a statement. While passenger numbers are down, the airline “anticipates significant cargo demand”, including “pharmaceuticals, e-commerce and technology firms.”
It’s uncertain how many regular passengers will be booking. Visitors are not currently allowed to enter Singapore, other than permanent residents, visa holders, or travelers from countries that qualify for an “Air Travel Pass” (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, New Zealand and Vietnam). As CNN notes, some provinces of China, plus Malaysia, Japan and the Republic of Korea may travel for work if sponsored by a Singaporean company. The flight will run three times a week, using an Airbus A350-900 with 187 economy seats, plus 24 premium economy and 42 business class.
Flights from Singapore to JFK will take 18 hours and 5 minutes, while JFK to Singapore will take 18 hours and 40 minutes, due to the headwind. On that route, passengers will also arrive two days after they departed, thanks to the 10:30 p.m. start and 6:10 a.m. arrival time.
According to Singapore Airlines, the crew will be wearing goggles, gloves and masks, and passengers are required to wear masks while not eating and drinking.