One of world's longest flights is set to return -

One of world's longest flights - from New York to Singapore set to return - and will be even longer

SINGAPORE AIRLINES A350-941 9V-SHL (CN 371)    File Photo 

A Singapore Airlines flight will connect New York to Southeast Asia, one of the world's longest nonstop flights, starting next month, a hopeful sign for Americans anxious for global travel who aren't deterred by the coronavirus pandemic. Singapore Airlines announced a few days ago it is starting a nonstop flight between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Singapore's Changi Airport, flying three times a week starting November 9 using their latest Airbus A350-900 aircraft. 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 10.30pm start and 6.10am arrival time. At a scheduled 18 hours, 40 minutes, the flight is few minutes shy of the airline's longest from the US, also serving the New York area. That flight, from Newark, New Jersey, to Singapore route, remains suspended. But airline officials say the time is right to add an East Coast ultra long counterpart to non-stops it has continued to operate between Los Angeles and Singapore, scheduled at a little less than 18 hours in the air. Only Singapore citizens or those with long-term passes, however, have been allowed into the country. Though Singapore shut its borders months ago, the Southeast Asian trading centre has been gradually easing restrictions to allow foreigners to transit to other countries through its airport, Bloomberg News reported. Aside from travel restrictions, there's also the issue of safety aboard on an ultra long flight when fears still abound about the chances of being infected by the virus. 

SINGAPORE A350-941 9V-SHJ (CN 328)     File Photo

The airline hopes passengers will be reassured by its enhanced cleaning schedules, the air filtration systems it uses aboard the Airbus A350-900 jetliners it uses for the ultra long flights and face mask requirements. "There are some early signs of optimism about a recovery in air travel," Lee Lik Hsin, an executive vice president for Singapore Airlines, said in a statement. "Our customers say that they are increasingly confident about air travel, given the robust health and safety measures that are in place, as well as testing regimes to protect them and our staff." The return of the ultra long flight underscores that consumers are anxious to get back in the air, said Henry Harteveldt, industry analyst for the Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco. "People want to travel and our research shows in Europe, the US and Asia, the desire to travel remains strong," Harteveldt said. He pointed to a survey that his firm conducted in July in which 84 per cent of those participating in the US agreed with the statement, "I can't wait to travel again." He said there were similar strong responses in eight other countries, ranging from 77 per cent in Germany to 90 per cent in China.

Story sourced from here
https://www.traveller.com.au/singapore-airlines-one-of-worlds-longest-flights-from-new-york-to-singapore-set-to-return--and-will-be-even-longer-h1rjxs