A plane that has been designed for Ultra-Long Range Missions has taken off, landed and taken off again (if we were working on the simple headline terms).
Yes. Singapore Airlines took its Airbus A350-900ULR (Ultra Long Range) out for a spin – with the airline resuming its flagship Singapore to Newark International Airport route.
Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900ULR – Image, Singapore Airlines
The first flight was successful, taking 17 hours and 52 minutes to complete the leg. The plane has since headed back to Singapore on its return leg.
Initially, the route will initially be served thrice-weekly, departing Singapore on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Daily operations will commence from 18 October after an additional A350-900ULR aircraft enters service with the airline.
Singapore Airlines have configured the A350-900ULR with 161 seats – with 67 Business Class seats and 94 Premium Economy Class seats, and will use the plane initially on the Singapore-Newark Route. With a configuration like this, it is a premium service for those who need to fly one-seat on those ultra long haul legs and prefer not to change at airports.
The premium plane will also operate on the Singapore to Los Angeles route (due to commence 2 November 2018) and to increase services on the Singapore-San Francisco route.
The Airbus A350 “replaces” the old A340-500 that was used on the route, before the type was withdrawn due to costs of operating a four-engined plane and fuel costs.
The rise of Ultra-Long Haul Routes seems to be.a thing, with various airlines having flagship long route (such as Qatar Airways flying between Doha and Auckland, Qantas flying between Perth and London without stopping).
How long the ultra long haul routes will last on how they can attract passengers.
And how much fuel costs…
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