Singapore Air, Airbus Team for World’s Longest Flight

A special version of the Airbus A350 will be used on the route. The A350-900ULR (for ultra-long range) will include a modified fuel system to increase the plane’s fuel capacity, an increase in the plane’s maximum take-off weight, and other improvements. The ULR configuration is reversible, allowing an operator to reconfigure the plane to standard A350-900 specifications.

Singapore Airlines has ordered a total of 67 A350-family commercial jets from Airbus and seven of the planes will be configured with the ULR capability. The first delivery of a ULR is currently scheduled for 2018.

From 2004 to 2013, Singapore Airlines flew the Singapore-to-New York City route using an Airbus A340-500. The flight was discontinued when fuel prices wrecked the economics. The A350-900ULR will have 170 seats, about 60 more than the old A340-500s, according to Leeham News.

The ULR’s maximum take-off weight has been increased by 5 metric tons and the wing fuel tanks will be expanded to allow a maximum of 165,000 liters of fuel. A standard 3-class configuration of the plane seats 325 passengers. The lower 170-seat capacity allows the plane to use its wing fuel tanks to carry more fuel rather than permanently install additional tanks in the plane’s cargo space. The standard A350-900 has a maximum range of 7,600 nautical miles.

A standard version the 777-9 from Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) will have a range of 7,600 nautical miles when it becomes available, but the plane is designed to carry up to 425 passengers. The 777-8’s projected range is 8,700 nautical miles with up to 375 passengers.

Leeham News compared the A350-900ULR to a Boeing’s most competitive aircraft for the route, the 777-200LR. The Boeing plane was estimated to consume about 650 kgs of fuel per passenger, much better than the 800 kgs consumed by the A340-500, but not as good as an estimated 500 kgs per passenger for the A350-900ULR. Whether Boeing has a chance to capture any of the Singapore Airlines business with its new 777-8 remains to be seen, but that will take some real doing.

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