Singapore Airlines’ first Airbus A350-900ULR demonstrated its long-haul capabilities during an unusual delivery flight during which the aircraft routed over the Arctic.
The aircraft (9V-SGA) departed Toulouse for Singapore on 22 September.
But rather than following the great circle route – around 5,900nm overflying Italy, the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and India – the aircraft took a flightpath north to Norway and Spitsbergen.
It crossed the Arctic Circle and eventually turned south into Russian airspace, landing at Singapore at around 16:40 local time.
The duration of the flight, close to 16h 30min, was about one-third longer than the typical 12h for an A350-900 ferry on the same route.
Singapore Airlines is planning to put the aircraft into service on a 9,000nm nonstop link to New York’s Newark airport on 11 October, a flight time of some 18h 45min, before opening a nonstop Los Angeles service in November.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
