The national flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) will resume operations of non-stop flights from Changi Airport in Singapore to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York starting from November 9, 2020, in a bid to rebuild its network.

The flight will be operated three times a week. The carrier will operate its flight SQ24 and it will depart from Changi Airport at an estimated local time of 02:25 am on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. The return flight SQ23 will depart from JFK International Airport at an estimated local time of 10:30 pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The new direct flights will be operated using Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which has three class configurations including 42 business class, 24 premium economy class and 187 economy class seats. With flight duration of 18 hours and 30 minutes and distance of 9,534 miles, the airline will again provide the longest flight service in the world.

The airline used to provide direct services to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, but the airline suspended all flight operations in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it operates direct flights to Los Angeles, but has halted non-stop services to San Francisco. Singapore Airlines also provides one-stop services to JFK International Airport via Frankfurt.

A spokesperson for the airline has said, “The SIA Group will continue to gradually deploy capacity to match the demand for air travel, and resume services to key points across its network as it recovers from the impact of the coronavirus. The SIA remains firmly committed to the US market and to restoring our presence in key points, such as New York, as conditions permit.”

The spokesperson added that the airline sees an opportunity to increase its passenger and cargo operations outside of JFK International Airport. Passengers transiting through Changi Airport are also expected to support this service.

Singapore nationals are now allowed to enter into the United States, but must provide a 14-day stay-home-notice (SHN) in a relevant SHN facility and undergo a COVID-19 test when returning to Singapore.

The airline also expects to have significant cargo demand from companies in various industries in the New York metropolitan area, including e-commerce, pharmaceutical and technology companies, because this new service provides the only uninterrupted air cargo connection between the north-eastern part of the US and Singapore.