While longer flights have operated historically or run non-commercially as part of various tests or demonstrations, the longest commercial flight in the world is currently operated by Singapore Airlines between New York’s JFK and Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN).
Due to the Asian city-state’s distance from both North America and Europe, the Singaporean flag carrier has a particularly large network of long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights.
On Oct. 26, the airline began running a new 16-hour between SIN and Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) in Spain. The flight leaves at 11:30 p.m. local time in Singapore and arrives at 8:50 a.m. the following day with a one-hour stopover in Barcelona El Prat (BCN) Airport.
“Madrid is also an increasingly popular tourist destination”: Singapore Airlines on new flight
The goal is to restructure the airline’s existing route between Singapore and Barcelona running twice weekly into a five-times-a-week flight from Madrid with a stopover to pick up passengers traveling from Barcelona. As a result, the airline’s direct service to Barcelona is being retired after just over 20 years.
“Europe is an important market for Singapore Airlines, and these adjustments reflect our commitment to it,” Dai Haoyu, who heads marketing strategy for Singapore Airlines, said in a statement when the route was first announced in May 2026. “We are seeing strong demand for travel to Europe, and increasing frequencies to key destinations such as Manchester, Milan, Munich, and London Gatwick in response. Madrid is also an increasingly popular tourist destination, as well as a financial and business hub.”
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The flight will operate on an Airbus A350-900 long-haul aircraft with 253 total seats of which 42 are in business class and 24 are in premium economy.
The flight to Madrid is Singapore Airlines’ 15th destination in Europe. The return flight to Singapore will leave Madrid at 10 a.m. local time, spend 80 minutes on the ground at a stopover in Barcelona and then spend 12 hours and 50 minutes in the air for the return journey to Changi.
Because of the wind currents heading eastward, the total flight time from Madrid to Singapore will take, at 15 hours and 25 minutes, nearly an hour less than in the other direction.
Singapore Airlines added new frequencies to a number of its European routes in 2026.
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Singapore Airlines sets sights on Europe expansion with more flights to Munich, Milan
The flight between Singapore and Madrid had operated until October 2004 but was retired in favor of other destinations on the European continent. As the airline announced back in May, the route is part of Singapore Airlines’ efforts to grow and expand its European network.
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The airline also increased its frequencies for its 13-hour fights to Munich and Milan heading into the fall while also upping its flight to Manchester in the United Kingdom from five-times-a-week to daily from July.
“Spain’s capital is known for its vibrant culture, world-class museums, and landmarks like the Royal Palace of Madrid,” the airline wrote further of its choice of destination. “It is also a business and financial hub, both for the region and South America.”
