Singapore Airlines (SIA) is to launch non-stop flights from San Francisco to Singapore and will add a second daily service from Los Angeles in an expansion of its U.S. operations.
In a preview of the previously announced non-stop flights from Los Angeles and New York to Singapore planned for 2018, the new non-stop SFO-Singapore service will be operated on a daily basis from October 23, 2016 using Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
SIA currently operates from San Francisco twice-daily, with one flight via Hong Kong and the other via Seoul Incheon. With the launch of non-stop San Francisco- Singapore services, the San Francisco- Seoul- Singapore flight will be re-routed to operate as a Los Angeles- Seoul- Singapore service, also from October 23, 2016. This will result in a second daily service from Los Angeles, complementing existing flights that operate on a Los Angeles-Tokyo Narita-Singapore routing.
Flying time for the new San Francisco- Singapore services will be between 14:35hrs and 17:45hrs depending on direction and time of year, over a journey of around 8,451 miles. They will be the longest flights in SIA’s network until 2018, when a new variant of the A350-900 will enter service, enabling even longer flights between Singapore and both Los Angeles and New York. SIA is the launch customer for the new variant, the A350-900ULR, with seven of the type on order.
“Our customers have been asking us to offer more U.S. services and we are pleased to be able to do so. With new non-stop San Francisco flights and the increase in frequency to Los Angeles, customers will have two flights to choose from each day to both of these popular U.S. West Coast destinations,” said Senior Vice President Marketing Planning, Ms. Lee Wen Fen.
SIA has at the same time decided to suspend services to Sao Paulo in Brazil as a result of the sustained weak performance of the route. SIA operates three weekly flights to Sao Paulo via Barcelona and the last flight will be operated on October 20, 2016. Services between Singapore and Barcelona will continue to be operated.
The A350-900 is able to operate non-stop San Francisco flights on a year-round basis, although depending on headwinds there will be some payload restrictions which will result in some seats not being offered for sale. The aircraft is configured with 253 seats in Business Class, Premium Economy Class and Economy Class.
Flights from San Francisco will depart in the morning, arriving in Singapore in the early evening. Non-stop SIN-SFO flights will also depart in the morning, with a morning arrival in the U.S. to enable onward connections to additional destinations.
Upgraded Cabins on All SIA Flights from LAX
The new LAX-Seoul-Singapore service will be operated with B777-300ER aircraft and will introduce SIA’s upgraded, next generation aircraft interiors to the Los Angeles market for the first time, including First Class seats designed in conjunction with L.A.-based BMW Designworks. The aircraft is configured with 264 seats in First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class cabins. SIA will be the only carrier to offer a premium economy cabin on the LAX-Seoul route.
SIA’s current LAX-Tokyo-Singapore route will also be served with B777-300ER aircraft from October 23, 2016, with an identical configuration in place of the existing A380, and will also offer passengers upgraded seating products in each cabin.
In addition to San Francisco and Los Angeles, SIA’s U.S. network includes flights to Houston via Moscow and New York JFK via Frankfurt.
