Singapore Airlines will end non-stop services to Newark, the world’s longest commercial flight, next year as it phases out the fuel-guzzling planes used on the route.
The all-business-class flights will end in the fourth- quarter of next year, along with similar services to Los Angeles, the airline said in a statement yesterday, as it announced an order for 25 Airbus SAS aircraft. The Toulouse- based planemaker will acquire the five four-engine A340-500s used on the non-stop routes as part of the deal.
The end of the almost 19-hour service to Newark will lengthen Singapore travelers’ trip by more than three hours as they will have to change planes in London. Singapore Air is canceling the non-stop services, which started in 2004, as it phases out older aircraft following a more than 30 percent jump in fuel prices over two years.
“Although disappointing that we will be halting these services, we remain very committed to the U.S. market,” Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said in the statement. “Over the past two years, we have increased capacity to both Los Angeles and New York. We will also continue to explore additional options to enhance our U.S. services.”
The airline has added more seats to New York and Los Angeles using A380 superjumbos, which have more capacity and less range than A340s. The carrier yesterday said it plans to order five more A380s along with 20 two-engine A350-900s. The deal is worth US$7.5 billion ($9.2 billion) a list prices, it said.
Singapore Air already has a fleet of 19 A380s. The carrier operated the world’s first commercial flight with a superjumbo in 2007.
No comments:
Post a Comment