Earlier this year, Qantas launched one of the world’s longest flights between Perth, Australia and London, England. It is more than 9,000 miles.

Now, that record might be eclipsed by a new Singapore Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey to Singapore. The total flight time is 18 hours and 45 minutes! This flight raises the bar for long-haul travel and sets the stage for a fierce ultra long-haul aircraft battle between Boeing and Airbus.

The flight from Australia and London was flown on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The new Newark to Singapore route, starting October of this year, will use the new Airbus A350-900 Ultra Long Range (ULR). The flight features no economy seats (premium economy and business class only), which limits the seat capacity from 300 down to 170.

It’s all about weight and distance. The aircraft has to carry that much more necessary fuel for the 9,537-mile trip.

Photo Credit: Singapore Airlines