Singapore Airlines announced a $7.5 billion order for five new Airbus A380s and 20 A350s Wednesday for additional capacity growth and fleet renewal. As a footnote, however, it said this would result in the cessation of nonstop routes from Singapore to Los Angeles and Newark, putting an end to the world’s longest flights.
Ultralong flights on the world’s top carriers haul passengers over the North Pole and offer some of the greatest services in the industry with gourmet meals, fully flat beds and a multitude of entertainment options. Yet, as fewer people appear willing to fork over top dollar and fuel prices hike up fares, many carriers, like Singapore Airlines, are cutting back services.
The carrier’s CEO, Goh Choon Phong, called the move “disappointing,” but he explained that the intercontinental trips were just not economical anymore. Singapore Airlines will instead continue the routes through connecting flights.
For the complete story by the International Business Times’s Mark Johanson, click here.
