The range and payload capability of commercial aircraft have come a long way since Boeing introduced its B747SP (Special Performance) in 1975. Nearly 50 years ago, the quad jet’s 6,650 nautical mile range was considered ground-breaking. Today’s Airbus and Boeing twin jets can fly nearly 25 per cent farther. Thirteen to 15-hour flights are becoming routine. But Singapore Airlines’ daily SQ21 Newark to Singapore A350-900 nonstop clocks in at nearly 19 hours, a remarkable flight made possible by fuel efficiency, a slimmeddown, lighter-weight all-premium cabin configuration, favourable meteorological conditions, and the ability for everyone to be cocooned in a tube for nearly a full day.

The era of ultra-long haul flying is here. Qantas followed Singapore’s lead with its own Perth-London and Auckland-New York JFK nonstops, each with an elapsed flying time of some 18 hours. Air New Zealand also flies nonstop between its hub and JFK. Qantas likely still has its eye on operating Sydney-New York (8,646 nm) and Sydney-London (9,188 nm) nonstops one day, the Holy Grail of technical and marketing achievements for both the carrier and the aircraft manufacturer.

THE ECONOMICS OF CONFIGURATION.

Not all carriers have the unique all-business and premium seat layout of Singapore’s uniquely-configured A350-900ULRs dedicated to its New York routes. Notwithstanding the business profile of the New York market, the revenue generated from selling only high-yield fares is no doubt essential in offsetting the trade-off between reduced payload and greater range.

Yet most airlines have a typical mix of business and economy class seats on their ultra-long flights. Those traditional layouts allow carriers to use their aircraft anywhere in their networks thereby maximising asset utilisation.

AIR INDIA GOES ULTRA LONG-HAUL

How does India’s Flag Carrier Rank Among Ultra Long-haul Flights?

The country is almost geographically east-west equidistant to North America. While US carriers are currently restricted from overflying Russian airspace, Indian carriers have fewer limitations.

Air India currently flies 3 ultra long-haul USA routes – Bengaluru-San Francisco (nearly 18 hours,) Delhi-San Francisco (16 hours), and Mumbai-San Francisco 17.5 hours.)

The new generation of Boeing B787s and Airbus A350 AWBs brings more nonstops into range. Air India’s order for 40 Airbus A350-900/1000s and 30 Boeing B787s and B77Xs, which have range capabilities up to 9,700 nm, suggests more long-haul intercontinental nonstops may be in the cards.

Should Air India launch new rumoured flights to the US west coast and Midwest, these aircraft can easily ply those routes.

How does Air India Rank Today in Ultra Long-haul Flying?

As of December 2023, the airline’s Bengaluru-San Francisco B777 service ranks ninth among the world’s top ten longest commercial flights by distance. The carrier’s San Francisco-Mumbai (7,305 nm) and San Francisco-Delhi (6,697 nm) sectorsplace further down the list.

Elapsed times, which include taxi in and out, can vary by time of year due to winds.

WORLD’S TOP 10 LONGEST COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS BY DISTANCE

Rank	Carrier		Routing	Aircraft Type	Cabin Configuration	Nautical Miles	Elapsed Time Outbound   Inbound
1		SQ	Singapore to New York JFK	A350-900ULR	161 • C67 PY94	8,287	18H 05M	18H 35M
2		SQ	Singapore to Newark EWR	A350-900ULR	161 • C67 PY94	8,285	17H 50M	18H 50M
3		QR	Doha to Auckland	A350-1000	327 • C46 Y281	7,848	16H 15M	17H 25M
4		QF	Perth to London LHR	B787-9	236 • C42 PY28 Y166	7,829	17H 45M	16H 35M
5		QF	Melbourne to Dallas	B787-9	236 • C42 PY28 Y166	7,814	15H 45M	17H 50M
6		QF NZ	Auckland to New York JFK, Auckland to New York JFK	B787-9, B787-9	236 • C42 PY28 Y166, 275 • C27 PY33 Y215	7,671	17H 50M	17H 25M
7		EK	Dubai to Auckland	A380-800	484 • P14 C76 PY56 Y338	7,668	16H 00M	17H 10M
8		SQ	Singapore to Los Angeles	A350-900ULR	253 • C42 PY24 Y187	7,621	15H 10M	17H 40M
9		AI	Bengaluru to San Francisco	B777-200	288 • C28 PY48 Y212	7,561	15H 55M	17H 50M
10		UA	Houston to Sydney	B787-9	257 • C48 PY21 Y188	7,470	17H 35M	15H 35M

Source: December 20, 2023 – Upgraded Points.com, ExpertFlyer.com, airline websites, gcmap.com