Singapore Airlines non-stop New York-Singapore flights circumnavigate the world

The highly anticipated return of one of the world's longest flights has taken place with Singapore Airlines Flight SQ23 touching down in Singapore after a nearly 18-hour flight from New York. The vice president of public relations in the US for Singapore Airlines, James Boyd, says that while the route is long, it does depend on which way you are flying. "There's a lot of interest in the concept of the world's longest flight. We tend to measure it by block time. So the block time on the flight that we operate from Newark to Singapore is 18 hours and 45 minutes," says Boyd. "When that flight returns, it will continue to be the world's longest flight. The flight from JFK to Singapore is just a hair short of that. So our block time is 18 hours and 40 minutes here at JFK, so a close contender, but the crown still belongs in Newark." The inaugural flight from John F Kennedy Airport in New York to Changi Airport in Singapore took 17 hours and 38 minutes to cover its distance of 15,349km. The ultra-long-haul journey is operated by an Airbus A350. "It's a two-engine aircraft, it burns about 30% less fuel than its predecessor. And also because of the carbon fibre fuselage, we're able to do a lot of things that make the passenger experience a lot more comfortable," says Boyd. "Pressurisation is to a lower altitude, humidity levels are higher on board the plane so your skin feels a little bit more comfortable. And as an added bonus, you're actually able to taste your in-flight meal a lot better." It's not just the duration that makes this flight unique - it's one of the few routes where the aircraft circumnavigates the world on a return journey.<br/>