Singapore Airlines to start San Francisco nonstop service in fall

Singapore Airlines will begin nonstop service between San Francisco and Singapore on Oct. 23.

The announcement comes just two weeks after United launched its own service between San Francisco and Singapore. The commencement of that daily flight left Singapore Airlines in the awkward position of not offering a nonstop flight from its island home to the U.S. while another carrier is doing so.

With the commencement of its SFO-Singapore service, Singapore Airlines will share the world’s third-longest nonstop route with United at 8,451 miles.

United and Singapore, both Star Alliance members, are seeking approval to launch a codesharing partnership.

Along with adding the San Francisco service, Singapore Airlines announced Wednesday that it will end its San Francisco-Seoul-Singapore daily flight and instead fly from Los Angeles to Singapore via Seoul. The switch will give Los Angeles two Singapore Airlines flights per day, just as San Francisco has.

The launch of the San Francisco flight will also mark a resumption of nonstop U.S.-Singapore flights for the Asian carrier. Singapore Airlines used to fly from Changi to Los Angeles and Newark, but suspended those routes in 2013 amid rising fuel costs. The carrier plans to resume Los Angeles and New York-area services in 2018 when it takes delivery of seven Airbus A350-900ULRs, which are expected to have a range of more than 10,300 miles.

The approximately 9,500-mile, 19-hour trip between Singapore and either JFK or Newark will once again be the longest commercial flight in the world.

Singapore Airlines will fly the San Francisco route on an Airbus A350-900. Its 253 seats will be divided between business, premium economy and economy classes.