Planes used for world’s longest nonstop commercial flights are getting a makeover

By Karla Cripps, CNN

(CNN) — Travelers booking seats on what’s currently the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight will have more luxurious options to choose from in the not-so-distant future.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) — voted the world’s second-best airline in 2024 by Skytrax —recently revealed a multi-year 1.1 billion Singapore dollars (around $821 million) program to install new long-haul cabin products in its 41 Airbus A350-900 aircraft. And as part of that retrofit, the airline is adding first-class seats to its seven A350-900ULR planes, which currently only have business class and premium economy cabins.

ULR stands for Ultra Long Range, and the name says it all. The Singapore carrier uses these seven planes for flights to and from the United States. That includes the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight, between Singapore Changi Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, which takes between 18 to 19 hours on average and covers more than 9,500 miles.

Details of the cabin retrofits are few, with the airline only releasing a couple of images. What we do know is each of the seven A350-900ULR planes will feature four first-class seats, 70 business-class seats and 58 premium economy seats.

“Designed with increasingly discerning travelers in mind, these plush first-class seats promise to deliver an unparalleled in-flight experience,” said the airline in a statement.

Meanwhile, the airline’s 34 A350-900 long-haul aircraft will have 42 business-class seats, 24 premium economy seats and 192 economy seats.

The first retrofitted A350-900 long-haul aircraft is expected to enter service in the second quarter of 2026, while the first A350-900ULR variant will follow in the first quarter of 2027. The airline says the new seat designs will also feature in its upcoming Boeing 777-9 aircraft.

“Over the past six years, we have extensively engaged customers and stakeholders in the design of our next-generation long-haul cabin products, anticipating their evolving preferences and expectations down to the finest detail,” said Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer of SIA, in a statement.

“The new first class and business class seat designs will incorporate thoughtful elements that push the boundaries of comfort, luxury and modernity, allowing our customers to relax or work effortlessly on board. Premium economy class and economy class customers can also look forward to refreshed cabin interiors that enhance their travel experience.”

For now, travelers wanting to experience SIA’s most luxurious offerings can book a first-class seat on one of its Boeing 777 planes, or a private “suite” on one of its Airbus A380s.

A new ‘world’s longest flight’

Though SIA currently offers the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight, Qantas is gearing up to steal the crown.

The Australian airline’s long in-development “Project Sunrise” is set to take off in 2026. As part of the plan, it will offer flights from Sydney to London and New York that will be serviced by specially configured Airbus A350-1000 jets, with flight times of up to 20 hours.

Project Sunrise was first announced by Qantas in 2017. The name was inspired by the secretive, danger-filled flights made from Perth to Sri Lanka en route to London during World War II. They lasted so long pilots saw two sunrises.

In 2019, Qantas conducted three trial research trips to gather data to present to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority, which needed proof that pilots, cabin crew and passengers can cope with up to 22 hours in the air.

During these flights, pilots wore brainwave monitors and had their urine tested in the weeks before and after the journey to track levels of melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep cycles. Passengers in the main cabin wore monitoring devices, allowing scientists to study how their “health, well-being and body clock” were impacted by a set of variables including lighting, food and drink, movement, sleep patterns and inflight entertainment.

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