Shortly after the first Airbus A350-900 was introduced, with Airbus delivering the first aircraft to Qatar Airways in January 2015, the manufacturer began work on making its already impressive range even longer. The result was the Airbus A350-900ULR, which stands for Ultra Long Range. Singapore Airlines uses this plane to fly the current longest commercial non-stop flight in the world.

This route is so long, in fact, that not many other aircraft can make the trip at all, let alone make it reliably while carrying passengers and baggage. While some other airlines have shown interest in the -900ULR, including Qantas, currently, Singapore Airlines owns all seven -900ULRs in use today. This article will shed some light on the longest commercial non-stop route which Singapore Airlines flies with this plane.

The Longest Commercial Route

Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock

The longest commercial nonstop flight in the world is currently Singapore Airlines’ flights 23 and 24, flown between Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The route has a ground distance of 9,310 nautical miles according to FlightAware data. While the flight has a great circle (as the crow flies) distance of 8,288 nautical miles, according to the Independent, this route crosses Russian airspace, thus the airline flies around, adding 500 nautical miles to the trip.

The route was opened following the delivery of the first -900ULR to Singapore Airlines in October 2018, according to Airbus. The airline ordered a total of seven of the A350 XWB family aircraft variant, and increased in frequency to daily flights along the route from January 18, 2021, according to Travel Agent Central. What the route looks like on a map can be seen in the early portions of the video below:

When operating flight 24 to New York over the Pacific Ocean, jet streams can sometimes assist the plane during flight, the favorable winds adding to the speed and fuel efficiency per nautical mile. When flying the other way, on flight 23 to Singapore, the airline sometimes opts to fly eastward across the Atlantic Ocean, instead of the westward polar route, according to FlightAware, as winds are favorable in this direction. The route in this direction is a ground distance of 8,900 nautical miles.

What Makes The -900ULR Better Than The -900?

Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock

According to Singapore Airlines, the non-ULR A350-900 variant was capable of, and used to, fly flights 23 and 24, but the route was operated exclusively by the improved -900ULR from January 2021. Following the first delivery of the -900 in 2015, Airbus was looking to improve the -900 for ultra-long-haul routes, and began testing various improvements to the -900, including extended ‘sharklets’ in October 2017; wingtip aerodynamic devices in the shape of shark fins.

This was part of the upcoming performance improvement package (PIP), which offered a range increase of up to 140 nautical miles, reduced fuel burn by up to 1.6%, and increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) by 5,000 kilograms, according to Leeham News. Airbus also tested hybrid laminar flow control (HLFC) with the -900, according to Aviation Week, but ultimately, it was wing redesigns including a twisted wing and sharklets, and fuel system improvements that made their way to the -900ULR.

Data from Aviation Week & Aerocorner.

The main factor in the -900ULR’s better performance is an increase in fuel capacity from 37,000 to 44,000 US gallons, achieved by integrating a modified fuel system to make use of the extra spaces in the center wing box. The improvements offered a lowered MTOW from 283 tonnes to 280 tonnes when compared to the first -900 model, the A359, but the changes came with a range improvement from 8,500 nautical miles to 9,700 nautical miles, according to FlightGlobal.

Why No Other Airline Flies The Route

Photo: Sorbis | Shutterstock

There are two main reasons why no other airline flies this ultra-long route, and the first is the sheer length of the trip. Singapore Airlines, being the flag carrier of the country, stands to gain the most by opening up a nonstop route between the massive New York and Singapore, particularly as Singapore Changi Airport is not just a hub for the airline, but also functions as a significant aviation gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. As of 2024, Changi Airport handled 67.7 million passengers, making it the 15th busiest in the world, according to the Straits Times.

Singapore Airlines’ CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong, commented on the opening of the route in 2018.

“Singapore Airlines has always taken pride in pushing the boundaries to provide the best possible travel convenience for our customers, and we are pleased to be leading the way with these new non-stop flights using the latest-technology, ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR. The flights will offer our customers the fastest way to travel between the two cities – in great comfort, together with Singapore Airlines’ legendary service – and will help boost connectivity to and through the Singapore hub.”

From this statement, Phong alludes to the fact that significant changes and considerations had to be made in order to make the route profitable. Readers may have noticed from its seating configuration that the aircraft offers no first-class or economy classes, instead offering 67 Business and 94 Premium Economy seats. This appears to be the sweet spot for profitability, as a plane full of first-class seats may not be filled due to low demand, and a plane with many economy-class seats may be too heavy to fly the route.

For Singapore Airlines, though the -900ULR’s capacity of 161 is half the A350-900’s typical two-class capacity of 300–350 passengers, the unusual Business and Premium Economy seating is optimal, as it allows for decent density, and higher ticket fare prices. For many other airlines, it may not be worth flying such a route, as it includes a considerable investment via purchasing dedicated planes for the task, and perhaps outfitting them with a similar configuration.

Are There Other ULR Variants?

Photo: Petr Podrouzek | Shutterstock

Singapore Airlines has ordered and taken delivery of 65 of the 567 A350-900 aircraft, including seven ULRs, making the airline the biggest user of the -900 and technically the only user of a ULR variant. However, Qantas was initially involved in the research process, expressing interest in a larger capacity A350-1000ULR, according to FlightGlobal.

In 2022, Qantas ordered the first of 24 total A350-1000 aircraft, and 12 of these have been speculated to be A350-1000ULRs, as was signaled by ch-aviation in the same year. Qantas Group Chief Executive Alan Joyce said the following about plans to accommodate ultra-long routes after the COVID-19 slowdown in the aviation industry had started to turn around.

“Work has also resumed on Project Sunrise. Our latest customer research shows the demand for direct long-haul flights is even stronger than it was pre-COVID, so our focus on delivering non-stop services from Sydney Kingsford Smith and Melbourne Airport to New York JFK and London Heathrow remains.”

According to DJS Aviation, although these aircraft will likely not arrive in time for Qantas to start flying nonstop routes from Australia to Europe and New York this year, as originally planned, Qantas is scheduled to receive delivery of its first ‘A350-1000ULR’ in the second half of 2026. 12 improvements of the -1000s Qantas will be receiving are referred to as ULRs, but Airbus has not marketed them as such, as they do not have the altered fuel tanks of the -900ULR. They have benefited from the steady improvements enjoyed by the -900, as above.

The -900ULRs Are Getting First-Class Seats

Photo: The Global Guy | Shutterstock

Perhaps change is in the air regarding Singapore Airlines’ -900ULRs. According to CNN, last year, Singapore Airlines announced that it would be completing a multi-year $821 million retrofitting program to install new long-haul cabin products in 41 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, including the -900ULR variant. The new configuration of the -900ULRs will feature four first-class seats, 70 business-class seats, and 58 premium economy seats, for a total of 132 seats, which is 31 fewer seats than the previous configuration.

The -900s will also be retrofitted to include 42 business-class seats, 24 premium economy seats, and 192 economy seats, for a total of 258 seats, which is fewer than previously. This may be a sign that Singapore Airlines expects first and business classes to be more popular and profitable in the future. According to a statement from the airline, the retrofitted layouts have been “Designed with increasingly discerning travelers in mind, these plush first-class seats promise to deliver an unparalleled in-flight experience.”

IATA Code

SQ

ICAO Code

SIA