Singapore Airlines To End World’s Longest Flights

The world’s longest commercial flight currently runs between Singapore and Newark, New Jersey, but the nearly 18-hour flight is being cancelled by Singapore Airlines.

Singapore Airlines is also cancelled a slightly shorter flight between Singapore and Los Angeles. The Associated Press reports the decision was made over profitability. The flight between Singapore and Newark is the longest flight in the world by distance, while the one to Los Angeles holds the record for longest duration, as a result of headwinds that slow the flight over the Pacific Ocean. The Newark flight, however, went over the North Pole, allowing it to go much faster en route.

News.com.au reports that Qantas, and Australian airline, will now have the world’s longest flight by distance, a trip from Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas. The Qantas route is 8,500 miles long. The new world’s longest flight by duration is a Delta Airlines flight from Johannesburg and Atlanta, which will take 17 hours.

The two Singapore Airline flights had been running since 2004.

Singapore Airlines will sell its five Airbus A340-500s back to Airbus. Singapore Airlines had found that configuring the flights with 98 business class seats that sell for around $8,000, but other airlines had found success by setting up with 250 seats between first, business, and economy class. The airline will buy about 25 smaller planes from Airbus, likely getting them at a discounted rate for such a large order.

Singapore Airlines hasn’t abandoned its service to the New York area, though, still reaching the area with a connector in Frankfurt. Flights from Singapore to Los Angeles will involve a connection via Tokyo, Japan.