World’s longest flight cancelled

If you were hoping to catch up on your Tolstoy — or maybe two seasons of your favorite HBO series– with an 18-hour plane flight, you’re out of luck, reports the Christian Science Monitor reports : 

Singapore Airlines announced Wednesday that it will end its nonstop flight between Singapore and Newark, a distance of about 9,500 miles (15,300 kilometers). A slightly shorter route between Singapore and Los Angeles will also end. The two routes were flown on gas-guzzling Airbus A340-500s.

The airline found the only way to make the routes profitable was by configuring the plane with 98 business class seats that sell for about $8,000 roundtrip. Other airlines operate the same plane with about 250 seats in first, business and economy classes.

Qantas’ Dallas to Sydney is now the longest flight distance-wise at 8,500 miles with Delta’s Atlanta-Johannesburg service taking the time title at 17 hours. 

Of course, even a domestic flight can turn into 19-hour ordeal under the right circumstances.