Jetliner lands in US after world's longest flight

Singapore Airlines originally flew the route for nine years using the gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 plane before abandoning it in 2013 because high oil prices made the service unprofitable.

Ingmar De Kegel of Belgium waits at the check-in counter of Singapore Airlines flight SQ22 to Newark on Thursday. The world's longest flight took travelers from Singapore to New York, Operated by Singapore Airlines. (Photo | AP)

NEW YORK: Singapore Airlines flight arrived in Newark on Friday after a nearly 18-hour trip from Singapore, completing the world's longest commercial flight.

It marked the revival of a route that had been eliminated in 2013.

Singapore Airlines Flight SQ22 arrived at 5:29 am (local time), the Newark Liberty International Airport website said.

That made for a flight of 17 hours and 52 minutes. The flight had been scheduled to take 18 hours and 25 minutes.

A screen advertising Singapore Airline's inaugural non-stop flight to New York is flashed on a screen at Changi International Airport. ( Photo | AP)

The plane was carrying 150 passengers and 17 crew members.

Singapore Airlines originally flew the route for nine years using the gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 plane before abandoning it in 2013 because high oil prices made the service unprofitable.

This trip was made with the new and more fuel efficient Airbus A350-900ULR.

It topped the previous longest direct air link between cities - Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes.