The World's Longest Current Commercial Flight Comes to an End Today

[pinlifter 502]

Singapore Airlines Flight 22 with an A340-500 is a couple hours out of KEWR with return flight later this evening (thanks Dillon B) )

 

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/SIA22/history/20131123/0430Z/WSSS/KEWR

 

Read more about it here:

 

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-10-21/singapore-airlines-ends-longest-commercial-flights-from-newark-and-los-angeles

 

They need to put a call in to Mini Cooper driver RSR and see if PMDG can sell them some 777-200LR's :lol:

[Dillon 2,208]

Doesn't this flight need to return first before it's officially the end?

 

By the way, thanks for posting this.

[NGXfanatic 85]

I found out about the final flight on Reddit.  Someone likened this event to the final flights of the Space Shuttle and the Concorde.  In some ways, it was similar to the Concorde flights, because it catered to the affluent business traveler who paid a premium price for a luxurious and relaxing experience, and there was some time savings compared to an alternate SIA route from KJFK to WSSS.  The article I read states that most long haul widebody aircraft are more than capable of non stop flights of this duration (19 hours), but for economic and strategic reasons, such legs are not feasible for the airlines.   I suppose it only makes sense if the route is very popular with business travelers, and the carrier can consistently fill up the available seats.  One traveler who flew on this leg estimated maybe 60% or less of the flight was booked the 3 times he traveled on this route. 

 

I remember learning about this route when I drove south on Interstate 95 by KEWR as a SIA A340-500 was on approach to runway 4R.  The first thing I did when I arrived home was to look up Flightaware activity and I was astounded to learn I witnessed the longest commercial flight in the world at the end of it's 9700sm hop across multiple timezones.  I was sad to learn of the demise of the route.  

 

I'm about to board my PMDG 777 for a trip to WSSS myself, as Delta Airlines Flight 621 from Narita Intl in Tokyo, maybe I'll see the SIA A340-600 at the gates!!

[Dillon 2,208]

With the 787-900 on the horizon this may very well be the last longest flight for the A340-500.  The 787 was built to fly to any location in the world from any starting point.  This by no means will be the last commercial flight of this length.

[NGXfanatic 85]

Yep, I meant to say A340-500, not -600.   I was holding at the end of runway 34L awaiting takeoff at RJAA in the trusty old PMDG T7 and watched a Swiss A340 come in for landing.  Must be this story, and the news in the past few years of the 747 and A340 being phased out and replaced by more fuel efficient twins, but my first thought when I saw the outline of that airbus far away on approach was just how seldom I see the A340 in my sim.  Apart from the 747-8, which isn't selling too well, and the A380, has the death knell been rung for the four engined type?

[Mickel 42]

The new mantle appears to belong to The Queen. A mere hop at 7,454nm from YSSY to KDFW by Qantas 747-400ERs.

[NGXfanatic 85]

Yup, I remember first hearing about that route when it was first introduced.  I was flying the PMDG 747 and wishing we had an ER expansion, as I was running almost on fumes after crossing the pacific from KLAX to YMML.