The 19-hour flight on board the A350-900 ULR from Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore to Newark Liberty International Airport, New York will depart at 23:35 local time after a 5-year hiatus. The airline had previously flown a thirsty, four-engine Airbus A340-500 on the 9,500-mile (15,300-kilometre) journey between the two financial capitals. The flight ultimately proved unprofitable with just 100 business-class seats on board and was axed in 2013. New efficiencies with the A350 series and its composite structure have made it possible to perform the feat again, profitably. Qantas demonstrated a similar achievement earlier this year in March with its inaugural Perth-London flight on board the Boeing B787-9.
Inside, passengers will be split between business and premium economy class with 67 seats in the former and 94 in the latter. The business seats are fully-flat as per usual while premium seats offer a comfortable recliner. Those lucky enough to get a few of the solo seats will have a storage bin beside them rather than an unpleasant neighbour although they will be sacrificing the window view. The storage bin sits between the seat and window. Adding to the comfort of the experience is the design of the A350 which is intended for such long-haul flights. Florent Petteni, Airbus’ aircraft interiors marketing director for the A350, explained that the aircraft is part of the manufacturer’s design philosophy which aims to mould the cabin into a room as opposed to a flying tube. Combining the high ceilings, complex LED lighting, almost upright sidewalls and mitigated noise levels and a peak in-cabin simulated altitude of 6,000 feet provides an improved in-flight passenger experience, said Petteni Gone are the days of the “windowless seats”, aside from the standalone premium economy seats, every window seat will actually get a window view. And not just a standard wider, these will be wider, panoramic windows thanks to the fuselage’s composite structure.
The flight is currently scheduled for three times a week and will increase to daily operations in a week’s time when the second A350-900 ULR enters service. Singapore Airlines currently maintains a fleet of 22 of the aircraft type, with 45 further scheduled for delivery and 6 of which are also ULRs. These future deliveries may see the addition of the “Lower Deck Modules”, a proposal by aircraft interiors manufacturer Zodiac Aerospace. This would allow passengers to utilise bunk beds in the cargo hold via a stairway.