It’s been a little over two months since Emirates announced that it will embark on the world’s longest non-stop flight when it starts its service to Panama City next year.

The flight in question takes a mammoth 17 hours and 35 minutes, and is set to begin on February 1 when its Boeing 777-200LR departs Dubai for Tocumen International Airport.

But its title as the world’s longest flight looks set to be short-lived as Singapore Airlines has ordered the new ultra-long range Airbus A350-900ULR.

The new aircraft will allow the airline to fly direct to New York – a distance of 8,700 miles with a flight time of up to 19 hours – and the US West Coast.

Therefore travellers who have sat through the entire Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies will then be able to start watching again – or switch on something else before landing.

“Our customers have been asking us to re-start non-stop Singapore-US flights and we are pleased that Airbus was able to offer the right aircraft to do so in a commercially viable manner,” said Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong. Details