United Airlines on Friday was set to launch the longest non-stop flight to or from the United States, an 8,700-mile (14,001-kilometer) journey connecting Los Angeles and Singapore.

The nearly 18-hour flight will depart Los Angeles at 9:25 pm local time and will land on Sunday in Singapore at 6:20 am local time.

United officials said the daily service will be the longest non-stop flight from the US to anywhere in the world.

Previously, the record was held by Qantas, which operates an 8,576-mile flight between Dallas and Sydney, as well as United's San Francisco-Singapore route (8,446 miles) launched last year.

Both of United's Los Angeles and San Francisco routes are operated with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft that can accomodate some 250 passengers.

David Hilfman, United's senior vice president of Worldwide Sales, said the new route will consolidate the airline's position in Asia, with Singapore a key destination for business travelers.

source: AFP