Singapore Air Completes Longest Commercial Passenger Flight In History

[ragingfish]

Singapore Air makes longest flightTuesday, June 29, 2004 Posted: 0139 GMT (0939 HKT) Water cannons greet the arrival of flight SQ22 at Newark airport after a non-stop journey of 18.5 hours from Singapore. (CNN) -- Singapore Airlines has completed the world's longest commercial passenger flight, touching down in Newark, New Jersey Monday evening after a flight of more than 18.5 hours from Singapore.The airline used an Airbus A340-500 configured to carry 181 passengers on the ultra long-haul route of more than 16,600 kilometers (about 10,000 miles) over the North Pacific.The non-stop flight SQ22 saves up to four hours in travel time over the airline's previous Singapore-New York service, which made a stopover in Amsterdam.Singapore Airlines said with the introduction of the non-stop service, it would discontinue flights between Amsterdam and Newark.The airline placed a $2.2 billion order in 1998 for 10 Airbus A340-500s in 1998 -- five on firm order and five on option, along with associated spare parts and engines. The aircraft is powered by four Rolls-Royce Trent 553 engines.Singapore Airlines held the previous distance record for a non-stop flight, set between Singapore and Los Angeles in February this year.

[russ257]

just thinking about that made my legs cramp

[futseal04]

That is nice, but who wouldn't want a stopover in Amsterdam? I hear the brownies over there are great......

[ArcsVibe]

18 hours in a plane !! First class all the way and it better be good!

[redlava]

And here I thought the 14 hour flight to Australia was a biitch. I hope those Airbus jets are more roomy than the cattle shutes that Boeing makes. 18 hours would suck if you were stuck in the middle seat between a fat guy with a BO problem and an old woman who likes to talk about her ingrown toenails.