Aviation

Norwegian launches world’s longest low-cost route to Singapore from under £150

New direct low-cost flights to Singapore with fares from £149.90
Airline begins longest nonstop route operated by a low-cost carrier
Airline marks its first UK route to Asia with celebration at Gatwick Airport

Norwegian, voted world’s best low-cost long-haul airline, continues its global expansion today by launching its first route from London Gatwick to Asia with a special Singaporean themed celebration to mark the carrier’s inaugural flight to Singapore.

The new 12-hour 45 minute flight from London Gatwick to Singapore Changi Airport is now the world’s longest route operated by a low-cost airline, covering 6,764 miles (10,885km) using brand new, state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

Consumers can fly direct to Singapore from Gatwick four times a week from £149.90 one way at www.norwegian.com/uk

Norwegian’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners are designed for comfort as all passengers have personal 11-inch seat back screens offering a wide selection of complimentary inflight entertainment. All seats are equipped with USB ports for charging personal electronic devices. Premium passengers also benefit from spacious cradle seating offering more than a metre of legroom and free lounge access at Gatwick Airport from £699.90 one way.

The Singapore route will be operated by the UK subsidiary ‘Norwegian UK’ (NUK) ahead of operating new flights to Buenos Aires from 14 February 2018. NUK has been granted a foreign air carrier permit by the U.S. Department of Transportation which allows NUK to operate flights between the UK, Europe and the United States. NUK is headquartered at London Gatwick, and will use British-registered Dreamliner aircraft and Gatwick-based crew to operate the new services.

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.