Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22

[7] This non-stop scheduled-commercial distance was immediately surpassed by return Flight SQ22, which flew a then-record 16,600-kilometre (9,000 nmi) back to Newark, on a route over Asia and Alaska.

[8] Despite the greater distance, Flight SQ22 averaged a slightly shorter 17 hours 45 minutes due to assistance from prevailing high-altitude winds.

However, medical experts expressed concerns regarding the 18-hour flight, in which passengers would breathe recycled air with a greater chance of picking up viral infections such as flu and colds on board.

Furthermore, the heart and lungs would come under increased strain from a lower than usual supply of oxygen, with an enhanced risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) among people who fail to exercise frequently on board.

[12] In October 2012, Singapore Airlines announced that it would discontinue non-stop service to both Newark and Los Angeles in 2013.

In November 2020, in an effort to increase cargo throughput, Singapore Airlines launched the even longer non-stop flights SQ23/SIA23 and SQ24/SIA24 using an Airbus A350-900 to nearby New York—JFK that covered 15,349 kilometres (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi).

[26] On 27 March 2022, Singapore Airlines relaunched SQ21/SQ22 using an Airbus A350-900ULR in a mixed business and premium economy cabin.