Singapore Airlines is ready to operate world’s first –non-stop flight, flying over 20 hours in the air by end of 2018 with the latest variant of Airbus A350 XWB. This aircraft will travel on record breaking flight that will connect Singapore to New York.
The aircraft conducted its first flight on April 23rd from Toulouse Blagnac Airport which manufacturers have categorized as a short flight-test program to certify the modifications to the standard A350-900 that will bring the ULR’s additional range capability. The aircraft will be capable to fly to a range of 9,700 nautical miles or more than 20 hours nonstop, and will fly farther than any other airliner when it enters service with its launch to Singapore Airlines by the end of the year.
Singapore airlines used to fly gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 on the 9,500-mile route, with just 100 business-class seats on board but after the service of the aircraft became inefficient, and the airline cancelled the flights in 2013. Singapore Airlines is now taking delivery of total of 7 Airbus’ newest wide-body, the A350-900 Ultra Long-Range planes.
Engineers managed an additional 1,600 nm of range in the A350-900 ULR though adaptations to the fuel system computer and to the air venting and inert gas distribution piping in the wing, allowing for the extra range without adding fuel tanks which resulted to an increase in fuel-carrying capacity from 141,000 liters to 165,000 liters supported by a maximum takeoff weight increase to 280 metric tons from the originally specified 268 tons on the standard version.
The aircraft will emphasize on customers comfort and will make the design of the aircraft which will make the aircraft cabin feel more like a room, rather than a long tube as it will have high ceilings, sophisticated LED lighting, almost vertical sidewalls and a low noise level said ” Florent Petteni, Airbus’ aircraft interiors marketing director for the A350. The air circulation system on the A350 has also been designed to be quiet and draft-free.
Airbus launched the ULR program in October 2015 with Singapore’s conversion of a firm order for seven standard A350-900s which the airlines said will be used for direct services between Singapore and U.S. cities, including an 8,700-nautical mile route from its home base to New York.
Earlier, first non-stop flight from Australia to Europe was conducted by Qantas flight QF9, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with more than 230 passengers and crew on board. The flight from Perth, Australia to Britain landed in London on Sunday after 17 hours and 5 minutes of journey completing 14,875 km of distance.
