Today, a new Singapore Airlines flight connecting the city-state with Newark International Airport is going into operation. The journey will be a mammoth 16,700 kilometers lasting just under 19 hours, making it the longest commercial flight worldwide in terms of both distance and time. The route was in operation before with a four-engine A340-500 but it was eventually axed because it became unprofitable amid rising fuel prices.

The relaunch of the route will be handled by the new fuel-efficient and ultra-long range Airbus A350-900. There are many ways of measuring the world’s longest flights with factors such as strong head winds having a major impact on the length of time an aircraft stays airborne. As a result, claims about the longest commercial flights have always proven controversial. The following infographic provides an overview of the longest flights and it shows how the new Singapore Airlines route is undisputedly the world’s longest.

source: statista