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Over time, commercial airlines have established a number of scheduled ultra long-haul non-stop flights. These exceptionally long routes reduce the travel time between distant city pairs as well as the number of stops needed for passengers' travels, thereby increasing passenger convenience.[1] For an airline, choosing to operate long flights can also build brand image as well as loyalty among a set of flyers.[2] Therefore, competition among airlines to establish the longest flight occurs.[3]
Measurement method
The length of a flight can be defined in different ways.[4] The most common standard flight length measurement is by great-circle distance, a formula that calculates the shortest distance across the curvature of the earth for two airports' ARPs.[5] It is the only measurement that is constant on a given city-pair route and unaffected by operational variances.[6] For this reason it is the standard for communicating commercial aviation flight length and is used by governing agencies like ICAO,[7] flight schedule providers,[8][9][10] and airlines themselves.[11]
Alternative definitions
For the sake of disambiguation, other terms used in reference to alternative definitions of "longest flights" (and also incur operational variance) include:
- Flight time – (the total time of a flight's operation) which varies based on multiple operational variables including: headings flown (see ground distance below), equipment capabilities, or even air traffic congestion (e.g., NAT-OTS and airport holding patterns).[12]
- A subvariant of this is "Flight endurance" which is used in referring to a specific operated flight, usually recorded with observers, specialized equipment, or other such formal arrangements that are not commonly found in commercial flights.[13]
- Flight scheduled time is another commonly reported figure that refers to the duration of a flight, published by a flight's operator. This is an unrelated/unreliable figure that incorporates further additional variables by airlines to reflect their operations and manage customer expectations that allow for variation in boarding procedures, anticipated time of day ground congestion, and even time allocated for remote stand operations).[14][15]
- Ground distance traveled – Measuring of the actual ground distance covered by a flight (using routing that is not entirely on a great-circle route and therefore greater). Flights commonly fly non-great-circle routes for operational reasons such as: favorable winds/meteorological conditions, regulatory/political restrictions, safety/equipment constraints (such as ASHTAMs and ETOPS limitations), or even cost savings (optimization of overflight payments).[16][17]
Flight types
There are numerous different types of flights globally operated by different aircraft for different industries and purposes. The term "longest flight" is most commonly used in reference to flights that are commercial, passenger, and scheduled, such that the flight details are published and tickets are available for purchase.[18]
While the term "longest flight" is most commonly used in reference to non-stop flights, direct flights with stops (same flight number used for the full journey) might also be compared on some occasions.[19]
By great-circle distance
Since November 9, 2020, the longest active scheduled passenger flight by great-circle distance is Singapore Airlines Flights 23 and 24[20] using an Airbus A350-900ULR between Singapore and New York–JFK at 15,349 kilometres (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi).[21]
The longest ever scheduled passenger flight was Air Tahiti Nui's flight TN64 using a Boeing 787-9, flying non-stop from Faaʻa International Airport in Papeete, Tahiti to Paris–CDG,[22] a distance of 15,715 kilometres (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) in a scheduled duration of 16 hours, 20 minutes.[23] This route was operated from March to April 2020.[24][25][26]
This route was previously operated with a refueling stop at Los Angeles International Airport, where all passengers would disembark the aircraft and pass through United States Customs & Border Protection before re-boarding and continuing to Paris. However, to comply with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions banning European travelers from entering the United States,[27] the airline opted not to stop at Los Angeles during its flights in March–April 2020. The route was also made possible by the aircraft's reduced passenger load of about 150 passengers,[28] which eliminated the need to refuel. This route also set a record for the world's longest domestic passenger flight, as it flew between French territories.
By ground distance traveled
Routings may avoid great-circle routes, despite their shorter ground distance, for a variety of reasons, for example to avoid headwinds and/or use tailwinds to save time and fuel.[4]
Since November 9, 2020, the two longest flights (measured by ground distance traveled) are Singapore Airlines' flights SQ23 (second longest) and SQ24 (longest) between Singapore-Changi and New York–JFK in the U.S. Both of these flights have a geometrically optimal great-circle route near the North Pole of approximately 15,350 km (9,540 mi; 8,290 nmi). However, SQ24 to New York is typically flown a ground distance of around 17,250 km (10,720 mi; 9,310 nmi)[29] over the Pacific Ocean where jet streams can assist; while SQ23 back to Singapore sometimes opts, instead of the westward polar route, to fly a ground distance of 16,500 km (10,300 mi; 8,900 nmi)[30] eastward, across the Atlantic Ocean, when favorable jet streams winds are available to save both flying time and fuel.
Similarly, the two Air India flights from New Delhi to San Francisco, AI173[31] and AI183,[32] fly an eastward ground distance of about 15,110 km (9,390 mi; 8,160 nmi) over the Pacific Ocean instead of a shorter westward great-circle route of about 13,300 km (8,300 mi; 7,200 nmi) over the Atlantic Ocean, to avoid prevailing westerly headwinds and save almost two hours of flying time.[33] Both these flights can travel with some variation in ground distance, with a report of 15,300 km (9,500 mi; 8,300 nmi) for the first such flight in 2016,[34] and it is not unheard of for particular flights to cover more than 16,000 km (9,900 mi; 8,600 nmi).[35]
Cathay Pacific flights from Hong Kong to New York–JFK will also sometimes fly 15,000 km (9,300 mi; 8,100 nmi) ground routes, instead of a 12,984 km (8,068 mi; 7,011 nmi) great-circle route, for the same reason.[36]
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, aircraft registered in or operated by multiple countries, including the European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Switzerland, were banned from using Russian airspace. As a result, a number of flights from Japan to Europe now fly using a polar route over Alaska and northern Canada. For example, Swiss International Air Lines flight LX161 from Tokyo–Narita to Zurich often flies this route, sometimes covering a ground distance of 13,400 km (8,326 mi; 7,235 nmi)[37] or longer, compared to a great-circle distance of 9,618 km (5,976 mi; 5,193 nmi).
Since the first scheduled commercial passenger flight in 1914 that covered 34 kilometres (21 mi; 18 nmi),[38][39] records for the longest flight (by great-circle distance) were rapidly set and continue to be set today.
1920s and 1930s
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The longest non-stop commercial flights of the 1930s were operated by flying boats, which were the predominant aircraft type of the time for long-range flight, in part because they did not require large airports capable of receiving large aircraft.[40]
- May 23, 1926: Following the end of WWI, there was a boom in the development of longer non-stop commercial flights such as Brussels-Paris (March 1919),[41][42][43] London-Paris (August 1919),[44][45] and Amsterdam-London (May 1920).[46][47] A notably long passenger flight for the time came with Western Air Express' launch of its scheduled non-stop flight between Salt Lake City (Woodward Field) and Las Vegas (Anderson Field). This non-stop flight covered a great circle distance of 585 km (364 mi; 316 nmi) in approximately 5 hours using a Douglas M-2.[48][49][50]
- August 21, 1934: A new record of longest commercial non-stop flight is flown by Pan American Airways using their brand new Sikorsky S-42 Flying Boat between Recife and Sao Luiz, Brazil covering a distance of 1,200 kilometres (746 mi; 648 nmi) in a scheduled time of 5 hours 30 minutes, the longest leg of their Miami-Rio De Janeiro route.[51][52]
- October 21, 1936: The first scheduled commercial transpacific flight was operated by Pan American Airways on a Martin M-130 Flying Boat with 7 paying passengers on board.[53] Flying from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, non-stop, a distance of 3,871 kilometres (2,405 mi; 2,090 nmi)[54] in 19 hours, 36 minutes.[55][56][57][58]
- June 28, 1939: The first scheduled commercial transatlantic flight was operated by Pan American Airways on a Boeing B-314 Clipper with 22 paying passengers on board.[59] Flying from Port Washington, New York[60][61] to Horta, Azores non-stop, a distance of 3,827 kilometres (2,378 mi; 2,066 nmi)[62] in 15 hours, 55 minutes.[63][58]
1940s and 1950s
- September 9, 1940: Pan Am set another record for the longest non-stop commercial flight by changing their eastbound trans-atlantic route between Bermuda and Lisbon to no longer have a scheduled stop in Horta, Azores. Using their Boeing B-314 Clipper, to cover the great circle distance of approximately 5,018 kilometres (3,118 mi; 2,710 nmi) from Darrell Island, Bermuda to Cabo Ruivo Airport, Lisbon, Portugal[64] in a scheduled time of 19 hours and 5 minutes.[65][66][67]
- June 29, 1943 – July 17, 1945: Qantas operated "The Double Sunrise", a weekly 5,652-kilometre (3,512 mi; 3,052 nmi) flight between Perth, Australia and Koggala in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) with average flight times of around 28 hours, using a Consolidated PBY Catalina.[68] The flight from Ceylon to Australia on Aug 30, 1943 remains the record holder for longest time airborne (for a commercial passenger flight) at 32 hours, 9 minutes.[69][70][71][72][73][74][75][note 1]
- January 26, 1949 – July 20, 1949: Having their operating certificates revoked and/or airfields closed to them in India, Pakistan, Ceylon, and Burma[76][77] in response to the Dutch's launching of a second Politionele acties (Operation Kraai); KLM created an alternative route for its direct flight KL830 between Amsterdam and Batavia. Using the longest range commercial airplane at the time: the new Lockheed L-749 Constellation with added additional fuel tanks and reduced cargo. It became the new longest non-stop commercial flight with its longest leg of 5,527 km (3,434 mi; 2,984 nmi) from Port Louis, Mauritius to Batavia, Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia) in a scheduled time of 15 hours, 15 minutes.[78][79][80][81][82]
- November 18, 1952: Utilizing the recently better understood phenomenon of the Polar jet stream, Pan Am launched non-stop passenger service from Tokyo-Haneda to Honolulu aboard a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser,[83] covering a great-circle distance of 6,202 kilometres (3,854 mi; 3,349 nmi) in 11 hours 30 minutes.[84][85] It would go on to be flown in as short as 9 hours 48 minutes.[86]
- September 29, 1957: A Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1649A Starliner, the ultimate piston-engine airliner in terms of range and endurance, flew the inaugural 8,780 kilometres (5,456 mi; 4,741 nmi) Los Angeles to London–Heathrow polar route in 18 hours and 32 minutes.[87]
- October 2, 1957: Trans World Airlines' L-1649A, set the record for the longest-duration, non-stop passenger flight aboard a piston-powered airliner on the inaugural London–Heathrow to San Francisco Flight 801 where the aircraft, having encountered strong headwinds, stayed aloft for 23 hours and 19 minutes covering 8,638 kilometres (5,367 mi; 4,664 nmi).[88][89][90]
- October 3, 1957: Trans World Airlines broke their own longest flight record with the launch of TW850's non-stop flight from San Francisco to Paris–Orly[91][92][93] covering 9,001 kilometres (5,593 mi; 4,860 nmi) in a scheduled flight time of 19 hours, 45 minutes.[94][95][96]
1960s and 1970s
- June 15, 1961: El Al used its new Boeing 707-458s[97] to start the non-stop route from New York Idlewild Airport to Tel Aviv, covering 9,137 kilometres (5,677 mi; 4,934 nmi), with an average time of 9 hours, 33 minutes. This route was previously tested in December 1957 with a Bristol Britannia.[98]
- January 7, 1963: As a result of Cold War tensions and loss of landing permissions on the route's previous intermediary stops, Aeroflot used their Tupolev Tu-114D, the largest commercial passenger plane ever built as of 1963, to change their eastbound route from Havana to Moscow into a non-stop one.[99] Covering 9,594 kilometres (5,961 mi; 5,180 nmi), in 16 hours, 25 minutes.[100][101]
- August 6, 1967: Aerolíneas Argentinas established its non-stop Boeing 707-320B service on a 10,062 kilometres (6,252 mi; 5,433 nmi) route between Madrid and Buenos Aires, with a flight time of 13 hours.[102][103][104] The arrival of the more fuel-efficient turbofans made easier the possibility of longer flights.
- April 26, 1976: Using the newly launched Boeing 747SP, Pan American World Airways set a new record with its 10,899 kilometres (6,772 mi; 5,885 nmi) New York–JFK to Tokyo-Haneda route.[105][106]
- December 12, 1976: Pan Am set another record with its 747SPs when it launched the first non-stop service between North America and Australia on its new route of Sydney–San Francisco, covering 11,937 kilometres (7,417 mi; 6,445 nmi) in a scheduled 13 hours 15 minutes.[107][108][109]
1980s and 1990s
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- November 4, 1982: Pan Am set a further record using a 747SP to launch its new non-stop route connecting Sydney to Los Angeles, covering 12,051 kilometres (7,488 mi; 6,507 nmi).[110][111][112]
- November 3, 1991: South African Airways sets a new record, using a Boeing 747-400 to connect New York–JFK to Johannesburg non-stop (eastbound): a distance of 12,824 kilometres (7,968 mi; 6,924 nmi).[113][114]
2000s
- February 1, 2000: South African Airways set another record, connecting Atlanta to Johannesburg non-stop (eastbound) with a 747-400: a distance of 13,581 kilometres (8,439 mi; 7,333 nmi)[115][116][117]
- March 1, 2001: With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, commercial overflights over Russia were now possible, allowing new circumpolar routes to come into use for airlines.[118] Continental Airlines launched a 12,980-kilometre (8,065 mi; 7,009 nmi) non-stop service from Newark to Hong Kong flying Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. This set a new distance record for a round trip route, flown non-stop in both directions. The duration of the non-stop flight exceeded 16 hours.[118]
- April 1, 2001: Within a month, United Airlines started its own New York–JFK to Hong Kong service with Boeing 747-400 aircraft, adding 10 kilometers to the distance for a distance of 12,990 kilometres (8,072 mi; 7,014 nmi).[118]
- February 3, 2004: Singapore Airlines set a new record using the Airbus A340-500 on a great circle distance of 14,113 kilometres (8,769 mi; 7,620 nmi) from Los Angeles to Singapore in a scheduled time of 18 hours 20 minutes carrying 181 passengers.[119][120][121][122]
- June 8, 2004: Singapore Airlines used its A340-500 aircraft to beat its own record; launching Flight SQ 21 on a 15,344 kilometres (9,534 mi; 8,285 nmi) great-circle route from Newark to Singapore, passing within 130 kilometres (81 mi; 70 nmi) of the North Pole and taking a little under 18 hours.[123] The return flight SQ 22, then flew a record ground distance of 16,600 kilometres (10,315 mi; 8,963 nmi) back to Newark. Despite the greater distance, SQ 22 averaged a slightly shorter 17 hours, 45 minutes because of prevailing high-altitude winds.[124]
2010s and 2020s
In the late 2000s/early 2010s, rising fuel prices coupled with the Great Recession caused the cancellation of many ultra long-haul, non-stop flights.[125] This included the services provided by Singapore Airlines from Singapore to both Newark and Los Angeles that were ended in late 2013.[126][127] But, as fuel prices have since decreased and more fuel-efficient aircraft have come into service, many ultra long-haul routes were reinstated or newly scheduled.[125]
- October 18, 2018: Singapore Airlines relaunched Flight SQ 21/22 between Singapore and Newark[128] using an Airbus A350-900ULR.
- March 15, 2020: During the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented transit in the US through Los Angeles International Airport, Air Tahiti Nui scheduled and operated, in March and April 2020, Flight TN64 as a non-stop flight between Papeete and Paris–CDG, using a Boeing 787-9 and covering 15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) in a scheduled time of 16 hours 20 minutes,[129][130] setting a new record for the world's longest scheduled passenger flight.[23][24][25][26]
- November 9, 2020: Singapore Airlines launched the longest currently active scheduled passenger flight of SQ 23/24 between Singapore and New York–JFK at 15,349 kilometres (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) operated by an Airbus A350-900.[131] On January 16, 2021, this route was changed to operate using an A350-900ULR.[132][133]
Promotional and delivery flights
A number of promotional or delivery flights have extended the record of longest non-stop flights by a commercial aircraft:
- March 23, 1976: South African Airways' delivery flight of their first Boeing 747SP set a new record for nonstop flight by commercial aircraft. Flying 16,560 kilometres (10,290 mi; 8,942 nmi), covering a great circle distance of 16,429 kilometres (10,209 mi; 8,871 nmi), from Paine Field (near Seattle) to Cape Town, South Africa in 17 hours and 22 minutes.[135][136][137]
- August 16, 1989: The first Qantas Boeing 747-400, VH-OJA, the City of Canberra, set a non-stop distance record for a commercial aircraft by flying 17,039 kilometres (10,588 mi; 9,200 nmi),[138] covering a great circle distance of 17,016 kilometres (10,573 mi; 9,188 nmi) between London and Sydney in 20 hours, 9 minutes. The purpose was to publicize the airline's "Longreach" services with the 747-400.[139][140][141]
- June 16, 1993: An Airbus A340-200, F-WWBA, dubbed The World Ranger, set two new records as it flew an around the world route. First flying 19,089 kilometres (11,861 mi; 10,307 nmi) from Paris-Le Bourget Airport to Auckland, New Zealand in 21 hours and 32 minutes.[142] After a 5 hour layover, the flight continued east-bound on a slightly longer route back to Paris-Le Bourget flying 19,246 kilometres (11,959 mi; 10,392 nmi), covering a great circle distance of 18,541 kilometres (11,521 mi; 10,011 nmi)[143] in 21 hours and 46 minutes. This was the first non-stop flight between Europe and New Zealand.[144][145][146]
- March 31, 1997: A Boeing 777-200ER, "The Super Ranger", flew 20,045 kilometres (12,455 mi; 10,823 nmi) eastward from Seattle's Boeing Field to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, prior to refueling and completing its around the world flight back to Seattle.[147][148][149]
- November 9, 2005: A Boeing 777-200LR demonstrator aircraft "Baby Blue 2" flew a great circle distance of 21,602 kilometres (13,423 mi; 11,664 nmi),[150][151][152] eastward from Hong Kong to London–Heathrow in 22 hours, 42 minutes as opposed to a normal westward routing for that sector, which is much shorter at 9,648 kilometres (5,995 mi; 5,210 nmi).[153][134] Eight pilots and twenty-seven passengers were on board.[154][155]
Non-scheduled commercial flights
- March 25, 2006: British Airways used a Boeing 777-200ER to fly the longest commercial non-stop flight with paying passengers, when chartered by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his entourage of staff and journalists to fly from meetings in Brussels, traveling non-stop to ensure their attendance at the closing ceremonies of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.[156] The flight, covering 17,157 kilometres (10,661 mi; 9,264 nmi) and lasting 18 hours, 45 minutes, included a BA staff of 20 to facilitate cockpit and cabin crew rotation during the flight.[156]
- March 28, 2021: A Comlux Boeing 787-8, registered P4-787, set a new record for the longest commercial non-stop flight with paying passengers. It flew a non-scheduled (chartered), non-stop flight between the nearly antipodal points of Seoul–Incheon and Buenos Aires.[157] The flight departed at 12:47 local time on March 28 and arrived on March 28 at 21:26 local time, having covered a total of 19,483 kilometres (12,106 mi; 10,520 nmi) in 20 hours 19 minutes.[158][159][160]
The longest-range Airbus jetliner in service is the Airbus A350-900ULR, which is capable of flying 18,000 kilometres (11,000 mi; 9,700 nmi).[161][162] The A380 is capable of flying 15,200 kilometres (9,400 mi; 8,200 nmi) with 544 passengers. The standard A350-900 can fly 15,000 kilometres (9,300 mi; 8,100 nmi) with 325 passengers.[163]
The longest-range Boeing airliner in service is the 777-200LR, which can cover 17,395 kilometres (10,809 mi; 9,393 nmi) with 301 passengers.[164][165] Boeing also considered developing a 777-200LR derivative for Qantas. It would feature three additional auxiliary fuel tanks (six total), a lighter interior derived from the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, as well as lower density seating. This aircraft would have the ability to fly between Sydney and London with a range of just over 18,500 kilometres (11,510 mi; 10,000 nmi).[166] The announced Boeing 777-8 will be capable of flying 16,170 kilometres (10,050 mi; 8,730 nmi) with 350 to 375 passengers.[167] The Boeing 787-9 can fly 14,140 kilometres (8,790 mi; 7,630 nmi) with 290 passengers.[168]
Many long-haul, non-stop routes that used to be uneconomical to operate are being made viable by the Airbus A330neo, the Airbus A350 XWB, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.[169]
Non-stop flights (top 30, by great-circle distance)
The following table lists the world's longest non-stop scheduled passenger routes by great-circle distance. The actual distance flown, however, can be longer than the great-circle distance for a variety of reasons, such as avoiding severe weather, taking advantage of favorable winds aloft, detouring around closed airspace, and diverting around conflict zones.
For the purposes of this table, multiple flights operated by the same airline between the same airports are counted as one flight, while different airlines operating between the same airports are counted separately. Also, each airport pair is counted separately, even though some cities have multiple airports supporting long-range flights (e.g. Heathrow and Gatwick airports serving London, and Haneda and Narita serving Tokyo).
| Rank | From | To | Airline | Flight number | Distance | Scheduled
duration |
Aircraft | First flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  New York–JFK |  Singapore | Singapore Airlines | SQ 23 | 15,349 km (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) | 18:50 | A350-900ULR | Nov 9, 2020[170] |
| 2 | Newark |
SQ 21 | 15,344 km (9,534 mi; 8,285 nmi) | 18:45 | Mar 27, 2022[171][note 2] | |||
| 3 |  Auckland |
 Doha |
Qatar Airways | QR 921 | 14,535 km (9,032 mi; 7,848 nmi) | 17:15 | A350-1000 | Feb 6, 2017[174][175][note 3] |
| 4 |  Perth |
 London–Heathrow |
Qantas | QF 9 | 14,499 km (9,009 mi; 7,829 nmi) | 17:45 | 787-9 | Mar 24, 2018[176][note 4] |
| 5 | Dallas/Fort Worth |
Melbourne |
QF 22 | 14,472 km (8,992 mi; 7,814 nmi) | 17:35 | Dec 3, 2022[178][179] | ||
| 6 | Perth |
 Paris–CDG |
QF 33 | 14,264 km (8,863 mi; 7,702 nmi) | 17:20 | July 12, 2024[180][181] | ||
| 7 | New York–JFK |
Auckland |
QF 4 | 14,207 km (8,828 mi; 7,671 nmi) | 17:30[182] | Jun 14, 2023[183] | ||
| Air New Zealand | NZ 1 | Sep 17, 2022[184][185] | ||||||
| 8 | Auckland |  Dubai | Emirates | EK 449 | 14,200 km (8,823 mi; 7,667 nmi) | 17:25 | A380-800 | Mar 2, 2016[note 5] |
| 9 |  Shenzhen |  Mexico City–Benito Juárez | China Southern | CZ 8031 | 14,147 km (8,791 mi; 7,639 nmi) | 16:00[186] | A350-900 | May 11, 2024[187][188][note 6] |
| 10 | Los Angeles | Singapore | Singapore Airlines | SQ 37, SQ 35 | 14,114 km (8,770 mi; 7,621 nmi) | 17:50 | A350-900 A350-900ULR[128] | Nov 2, 2018[189][note 7] |
| 11 | San Francisco |
 Bengaluru |
Air India | AI 176[191] | 14,004 km (8,702 mi; 7,562 nmi) | 17:55[192] | 777-200LR | Jan 9, 2021[note 8][193] |
| 12 | Houston |
Sydney | United Airlines | UA 101 | 13,834 km (8,596 mi; 7,470 nmi) | 17:35 | 787-9 | Jan 18, 2018[194] |
| 13 | Dallas/Fort Worth | Qantas | QF 8 | 13,804 km (8,577 mi; 7,454 nmi) | 17:20 | Sep 29, 2014[note 9][196][197] | ||
| 14 | New York–JFK |  Manila | Philippine Airlines | PR 127 | 13,712 km (8,520 mi; 7,404 nmi) | 17:15 | A350-900 | Oct 29, 2018[note 10][198] |
| 15 | San Francisco | Singapore | United Airlines | UA 1, UA 29 | 13,593 km (8,446 mi; 7,340 nmi) | 17:35 | 787-9 | Jun 1, 2016[199] |
| Singapore Airlines | SQ 31, SQ 33 | A350-900 | Oct 23, 2016[200] | |||||
| 16 |  Johannesburg |
Atlanta |
Delta Air Lines | DL 201 | 13,581 km (8,439 mi; 7,333 nmi) | 16:20 | A350-900 | Aug 1, 2021[201][note 11] |
| 17 | San Francisco |
Mumbai |
Air India | AI 180 | 13,529 km (8,407 mi; 7,305 nmi) | 17:25 | 777-200LR | Dec 15, 2022 [204] |
| 18 | Dubai |
Los Angeles | Emirates | EK 215 | 13,420 km (8,339 mi; 7,246 nmi) | 16:20 | A380-800 | Oct 26, 2008[note 12][205] |
| 19 |  Jeddah | Saudia | SV 41 | 13,409 km (8,332 mi; 7,240 nmi) | 16:25 | 777-300ER | Mar 31, 2014[206] | |
| 20 | Doha | Qatar Airways | QR 739, QR 741 | 13,367 km (8,306 mi; 7,218 nmi) | 16:25 | A350-1000 | Jan 1, 2016[note 13] | |
| 21 | Dallas/Fort Worth |
Brisbane |
American Airlines | AA 7 | 13,363 km (8,303 mi; 7,215 nmi) | 15:55[207] | 787-9 | October 27, 2024[208][209] [note 14] |
| 22 | Perth |
 Rome–Fiumicino |
Qantas | QF 5 | 13,354 km (8,298 mi; 7,211 nmi) | 16:25 | 787-9 | June 22, 2022[210][211] |
| 23 |  Toronto | Manila | Philippine Airlines | PR 119 | 13,230 km (8,221 mi; 7,144 nmi) | 16:50 | A350-900 | Feb 2, 2019[note 15] |
| 24 | Chicago–O'Hare | Auckland | Air New Zealand | NZ 27 | 13,170 km (8,183 mi; 7,111 nmi) | 16:30 | 787-9 | Nov 30, 2018[212] |
| 25 | Dubai | Houston | Emirates | EK 211 | 13,144 km (8,167 mi; 7,097 nmi) | 16:15 | A380-800 | Dec 3, 2007[note 16][213] |
| 26 | Cape Town |
Atlanta |
Delta Air Lines | DL 211 | 13,084 km (8,130 mi; 7,065 nmi) | 16:05 | A350-900 | Dec 3, 2022[214] |
| 27 | Dubai | San Francisco |
Emirates | EK 225 | 13,041 km (8,103 mi; 7,042 nmi) | 16:00 | A380-800 | Dec 15, 2008[note 17][215] |
| 28 | Doha |
Qatar Airways | QR 737 | 13,014 km (8,087 mi; 7,027 nmi) | 15:45 | A350-1000 | Dec 15, 2020[216] | |
| 29 | New York–JFK |  Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific | CX 831/841/843 | 12,990 km (8,072 mi; 7,014 nmi) | 16:15 | 777-300ER A350-900 A350-1000 |
Jul 1, 2004[217][note 18] |
| 30 | Seattle |
Singapore |
Singapore Airlines | SQ 27 | 12,988 km (8,070 mi; 7,013 nmi) | 16:10 | A350-900 | Jun 2, 2022[219][note 19] |
Direct flights with stops
A direct flight between an origin and final destination has an intermediate stop, with all segments having the same flight number and using the same aircraft.[220] In the following table, the "Origin – Destination" column lists the great-circle distance between the origin and final destination, excluding the stop. The "All Sectors" column lists the total great-circle distance from the origin to the stop to the final destination.
| Rank | Origin | Stop | Destination | Airline | Flight number | Distance Origin – Destination | All sectors | Scheduled duration |
Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing–Capital |
 Madrid |
 São Paulo–Guarulhos |
Air China | CA 897 | 17,578 km (10,922 mi; 9,491 nmi) | 17,584 km (10,926 mi; 9,495 nmi) | 25:55[221] | 787-9[222] |
| 2 | Sydney | Singapore | London–Heathrow | British Airways | BA 16 | 17,016 km (10,573 mi; 9,188 nmi) | 17,176 km (10,673 mi; 9,274 nmi) | 23:55 | 787-9 |
| Qantas | QF 1 | 24:55 | A380-800[223] | ||||||
| 3 | Perth |
Paris–CDG |
QF 33 | 16,950 km (10,532 mi; 9,152 nmi) | 16,933 km (10,522 mi; 9,143 nmi) | 22:30 | 787-9 | ||
| 4 | Rome–Fiumicino |
QF 5[211] | 16,342 km (10,154 mi; 8,824 nmi) | 16,638 km (10,338 mi; 8,984 nmi) | 22:50 | ||||
| 5 | Auckland |
New York–JFK |
QF 3 | 16,013 km (9,950 mi; 8,646 nmi) | 16,371 km (10,172 mi; 8,840 nmi) | 22:40[224] | |||
| 6 | Singapore | Manchester | Houston | Singapore Airlines | SQ 52 | 15,981 km (9,930 mi; 8,629 nmi) | 18,544 km (11,523 mi; 10,013 nmi) | 24:45 | A350-900 |
| 7 | Toronto–Pearson | Vancouver | Sydney | Air Canada | AC 33 | 15,839 km (9,842 mi; 8,552 nmi) | 15,847 km (9,847 mi; 8,557 nmi) | 22:35 | 777-200LR |
| 8 | Paris–Orly | San Francisco |  Papeete | French Bee | BF 710 | 15,728 km (9,773 mi; 8,492 nmi) | 15,742 km (9,782 mi; 8,500 nmi) | 19:55 | A350-900 |
| 9 | Paris–CDG |
Seattle |
Air Tahiti Nui | TN 57 | 15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) | 15,772 km (9,800 mi; 8,516 nmi) | 21:45[225] | 787-9 | |
| 10 | Los Angeles | TN 7 | 15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) | 19:55 | |||||
| Air France | AF 26 | 20:40 | 777-200ER | ||||||
| 11 | Singapore |  Frankfurt | New York–JFK | Singapore Airlines | SQ 26 | 15,348 km (9,537 mi; 8,287 nmi) | 16,488 km (10,245 mi; 8,903 nmi) | 22:20 | 777-300ER[226] |
| 12 | Melbourne |
Singapore |
 Istanbul |
Turkish Airlines | TK 169 | 14,634 km (9,093 mi; 7,902 nmi) | 14,705 km (9,137 mi; 7,940 nmi) | 20:45[227] | A350-900[228][229] |
| 13 | Dubai | Barcelona | Mexico City-Benito Juárez |
Emirates | EK 255 | 14,345 km (8,914 mi; 7,746 nmi) | 14,680 km (9,122 mi; 7,927 nmi) | 20:20 | 777-200LR |
| 14 | Mexico City–Benito Juárez |
Tijuana | Shenzhen | China Southern | CZ 8032 | 14,147 km (8,791 mi; 7,639 nmi) | 14,167 km (8,803 mi; 7,650 nmi) | 21:20 [note 6] | A350-900[58][187][188] |
| 15 | Los Angeles |
 Tokyo–Narita | Singapore | Singapore Airlines | SQ 11 | 14,113 km (8,769 mi; 7,620 nmi) | 14,122 km (8,775 mi; 7,625 nmi) | 19:25 | 777-300ER |
| 16 | Christchurch | Sydney | Dubai | Emirates | EK 413 | 14,050 km (8,730 mi; 7,586 nmi) | 14,168 km (8,804 mi; 7,650 nmi) | 17:50 | A380-800[230] |
| 17 | Dubai | Rio de Janeiro–Galeão |  Buenos Aires–Ezeiza | EK 247 | 13,675 km (8,497 mi; 7,384 nmi) | 13,879 km (8,624 mi; 7,494 nmi) | 19:35 | 777-200LR | |
| 18 | Miami |
 Bogotá |
EK 213 | 13,644 km (8,478 mi; 7,367 nmi) | 15,050 km (9,352 mi; 8,126 nmi) | 21:50[231] | 777-300ER[232] | ||
| 19 | Beijing–Capital |
Madrid |
 Havana |
Air China | CA 865 | 12,751 km (7,923 mi; 6,885 nmi) | 16,702 km (10,378 mi; 9,018 nmi) | 23:30 | 787-9[233] |
Discontinued non-stop flights
| Rank | From | To | Airline | Flight number | Distance | Scheduled duration |
Aircraft | Final flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Papeete |
Paris–CDG |
Air Tahiti Nui | TN 64 | 15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) | 16:20 | 787-9 | Apr 19, 2020[234][23][24][25][26] |
| 2 | New York–JFK |  Bangkok | Thai Airways | TG 793 | 13,965 km (8,677 mi; 7,540 nmi) | 17:45 | A340-500 A340-600 |
Jul 1, 2008[235] |
| 3 | Darwin | London–Heathrow | Qantas | QF 1, QF 9 | 13,872 km (8,620 mi; 7,490 nmi) | 17:25 | A380-800 787-9 |
Jun 18, 2022[236] |
| 4 | Melbourne |
 Tel Aviv |
El Al | LY 86 | 13,736 km (8,535 mi; 7,417 nmi) | 17:45 | 787-9 | Apr 2, 2020[237][238][note 20] |
| 5 | Mumbai | Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | DL 185 | 13,696 km (8,510 mi; 7,395 nmi) | 17:55 | 777-200LR | Oct 21, 2009[240][note 21] |
| 6 | Abu Dhabi |
Los Angeles |
Etihad Airways | EY 171 | 13,502 km (8,390 mi; 7,290 nmi) | 16:40 | 777-200LR 777-300ER A340-500 |
Apr 20, 2020 |
| 7 | Los Angeles | Bangkok | Thai Airways | TG 795 | 13,309 km (8,270 mi; 7,186 nmi) | 17:20 | A340-500 A340-600 | Apr 30, 2012 |
| 8 | Hyderabad |
Chicago–O'Hare |
Air India | AI 107 | 13,301 km (8,265 mi; 7,182 nmi) | 16:45 | 777-200LR | Mar 25, 2022[242][243] |
| 9 | Vancouver |
Melbourne |
Air Canada | AC 37 | 13,183 km (8,192 mi; 7,118 nmi) | 16:20 | 787-9 | Mar 27, 2020[244][245] |
| 10 | Abu Dhabi | San Francisco | Etihad Airways | EY 183 | 13,129 km (8,158 mi; 7,089 nmi) | 16:00 | 777-200LR | Oct 28, 2017 |
| 11 | Washington–Dulles |
Hong Kong |
Cathay Pacific | CX 861 | 13,121 km (8,153 mi; 7,085 nmi) | 15:55 | A350-1000 | Feb 14, 2020[246] |
| 12 | Johannesburg | Washington–Dulles | South African Airways | SA 208 | 13,091 km (8,134 mi; 7,069 nmi) | 16:50 | A340-600 | Apr 30, 2009[247] |
| 13 | Dallas/Fort Worth |
Hong Kong |
American Airlines | AA 125 | 13,072 km (8,123 mi; 7,058 nmi) | 17:00 | 777-300ER | Feb 15, 2020[248] |
| 14 | Abu Dhabi | Dallas/Fort Worth | Etihad Airways | EY 161 | 12,990 km (8,072 mi; 7,014 nmi) | 16:30 | 777-200LR | Mar 24, 2018[249][250] |
| 15 | Newark |
Hong Kong |
United Airlines | UA 179 | 12,980 km (8,065 mi; 7,009 nmi) | 16:00 | 777-200ER 777-300ER |
Feb 4, 2020[251][252][253][254][note 22] |
| Cathay Pacific | CX 899 | 777-300ER A350-900 |
Feb 10, 2020[255] | |||||
| 16 | Shanghai–Pudong |
Mexico City |
Aeroméxico | AM 99 | 12,916 km (8,026 mi; 6,974 nmi) | 15:10 | 787-8 787-9 |
Dec 14, 2019 |
| 17 | Johannesburg |
New York–JFK |
South African Airways | SA 203 | 12,824 km (7,968 mi; 6,924 nmi) | 16:00 | A340-600 A350-900 |
Mar 19, 2020[256] |
| 18 | Detroit | Hong Kong | Delta Air Lines | DL 187 | 12,645 km (7,857 mi; 6,828 nmi) | 15:45 | 777-200LR | Aug 30, 2012[257] |
| 19 | Dubai |
Fort Lauderdale |
Emirates | EK 213 | 12,594 km (7,826 mi; 6,800 nmi) | 15:50 | 777-200LR | Mar 12, 2020[note 23] |
| 20 |  Taipei |
Newark |
EVA Air | BR 32 | 12,552 km (7,799 mi; 6,778 nmi) | 14:45 | 777-300ER | Oct 29, 2011[258][note 24] |
| 21 | Chicago–O'Hare | Hong Kong–Kai Tak | United Airlines | UA 895 | 12,534 km (7,788 mi; 6,768 nmi) | 15:50 | 747-400 | Jul 5, 1998[259][note 25] |
| 22 | London-Heathrow |  Denpasar-Bali | Garuda Indonesia | GA 87 | 12,528 km (7,785 mi; 6,765 nmi) | 15:35 | 777-300ER | Oct 8, 2019[260][261] |
| 23 | Mumbai |
Toronto |
Air Canada | AC 47 | 12,513 km (7,775 mi; 6,756 nmi) | 16:20 | 777-200LR 787-9 |
Mar 22, 2020 |
| 24 | Atlanta | Shanghai–Pudong | Delta Air Lines | DL 185 | 12,326 km (7,659 mi; 6,656 nmi) | 15:55 | 777-200ER 777-200LR | Jan 30, 2020[262] |
| 25 |  Lomé | Los Angeles | Ethiopian Airlines | ET 504 | 12,287 km (7,635 mi; 6,634 nmi) | 15:25 | 787-8 | Feb 13, 2019[263] |
| 26 | Dubai | Atlanta | Delta Air Lines | DL 7 | 12,230 km (7,599 mi; 6,604 nmi) | 15:45 | 777-200LR | Feb 11, 2016[264] |
| 27 | New York–JFK |
Chongqing |
Hainan Airlines | HU 416 | 12,214 km (7,589 mi; 6,595 nmi) | 15:10 | 787-9 | Feb 1, 2020 |
| 28 | Abu Dhabi |
São Paulo–Guarulhos |
Etihad Airways | EY 191 | 12,122 km (7,532 mi; 6,545 nmi) | 15:00 | 777-200LR 777-300ER A340-500 A340-600 |
Mar 25, 2017[265] |
| 29 | New York–JFK |
Chengdu–Shuangliu |
Hainan Airlines | HU 7916 | 12,115 km (7,528 mi; 6,542 nmi) | 16:30 | 787-9 | May 2, 2020 |
| 30 | Minneapolis/Saint Paul | Hong Kong–Kai Tak | Northwest Airlines | NW 97 | 12,062 km (7,495 mi; 6,513 nmi) | 15:00 | 747-400 | Jul 5, 1998[266][267] |
The sections below gives two separate views. The first one lists all the commercial passenger aircraft types and their currently scheduled and operating longest non-stop flight. The second section lists the longest non-stop flight ever regularly scheduled and operated by that commercial passenger aircraft type.
Current
The table below lists the current longest (by great-circle distance) non-stop flights operated by different types of aircraft.
Records
The table below lists the longest (by great-circle distance) regularly scheduled non-stop revenue flights ever operated by different types of aircraft. The table does not include special promotional or delivery flights, such as shown above.
| Aircraft | Type | Origin | Destination | Distance | Scheduled duration |
Airline | Flight number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A220-100 | Jetliner | Washington–Dulles |
Seattle/Tacoma |
3,710 km (2,305 mi; 2,003 nmi) | 6:20 | Delta Air Lines | DL 1087[272][273] |
| Airbus A220-300 | Jetliner |  Tampere |
Tenerife–South |
4,745 km (2,948 mi; 2,562 nmi) | 7:00 | airBaltic | BT 581[274] |
| Airbus A300-600 | Jetliner |  Dakar–Senghor |
New York–JFK |
6,125 km (3,806 mi; 3,307 nmi) | 8:35 | Air Afrique | RK 531/541/551/571[note 26] |
| Airbus A310 | Jetliner | Buenos Aires–Ezeiza |
8,500 km (5,282 mi; 4,590 nmi) | 12:10 | Aerolíneas Argentinas | AR 1300[104] | |
| Airbus A318 | Jetliner | New York–JFK |
London–City |
5,569 km (3,460 mi; 3,007 nmi) | 7:05 | British Airways | BA 2/BA 4 |
| Airbus A319 | Jetliner |  Khabarovsk |
Yekaterinburg |
4,862 km (3,021 mi; 2,625 nmi) | 7:05 | Ural Airlines | U6 174 |
| Airbus A319LR | Jetliner | Düsseldorf |
Chicago–O'Hare |
6,808 km (4,230 mi; 3,676 nmi) | 9:15 | Lufthansa | LH 436[275][276] |
| Airbus A320 | Jetliner | Blagoveschensk |
Moscow |
5,608 km (3,485 mi; 3,028 nmi) | 7:29 | S7 Airlines | S7 3064 |
| Airbus A320neo | Jetliner | Melbourne |
 Bandar Seri Begawan |
5,646 km (3,508 mi; 3,049 nmi) | 7:10 | Royal Brunei Airlines | BI 54 |
| Airbus A321 | Jetliner | Tel Aviv |
 Reykjavik |
5,284 km (3,283 mi; 2,853 nmi) | 7:15 | WOW Air | WW 699 |
| Airbus A321neo | Jetliner | Reykjavik |
Los Angeles |
6,942 km (4,314 mi; 3,748 nmi) | 9:35 | WW 173 | |
| Airbus A321LR | Jetliner | Oakland |
 Terceira |
7,874 km (4,892 mi; 4,251 nmi) | 9:49 | Azores Airlines | S4 236[277] |
| Airbus A330-200 | Jetliner | Los Angeles |
Melbourne |
12,778 km (7,940 mi; 6,900 nmi) | 15:50 | Qantas | QF 94 |
| Airbus A330-300 | Jetliner | Mumbai |
Sydney |
10,152 km (6,308 mi; 5,482 nmi) | 11:15 | QF 124 | |
| Airbus A330-800 | Jetliner |  Kuwait City |
New York–JFK |
10,223 km (6,352 mi; 5,520 nmi) | 13:25 | Kuwait Airways | KU 117 |
| Airbus A330-900 | Jetliner | Rome-Fiumicino | Los Angeles | 10,226 km (6,354 mi; 5,522 nmi) | 13:05 | ITA Airways | AZ 620 |
| Airbus A340-200 | Jetliner | Buenos Aires |
Sydney |
11,789 km (7,325 mi; 6,366 nmi) | 15:50 | Aerolineas Argentinas | AR 1182 |
| Airbus A340-300 | Jetliner | New York–JFK |
Hong Kong |
12,990 km (8,072 mi; 7,014 nmi) | 16:25 | Cathay Pacific | CX 823[278] |
| Airbus A340-500 | Jetliner | Newark |
Singapore |
15,345 km (9,535 mi; 8,286 nmi) | 18:50 | Singapore Airlines | SQ 21 |
| Airbus A340-600 | Jetliner | New York–JFK |
Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi |
13,963 km (8,676 mi; 7,539 nmi) | 17:45 | Thai Airways International | TG 790 |
| Airbus A350-900 | Jetliner | Singapore |
15,349 km (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) | 18:40 | Singapore Airlines | SQ 23 | |
| Airbus A350-900ULR | Jetliner | ||||||
| Airbus A350-1000 | Jetliner | Auckland |
Doha |
14,535 km (9,032 mi; 7,848 nmi) | 17:15 | Qatar Airways | QR 921 |
| Airbus A380 | Jetliner | Dubai |
14,200 km (8,823 mi; 7,667 nmi) | 17:25 | Emirates | EK 449 | |
| Boeing BBJ1 | Jetliner |  Amsterdam |
Houston |
8,067 km (5,013 mi; 4,356 nmi) | 10:40 | KLM | KL 663[279][280] |
| Boeing BBJ2 | Jetliner |  Zurich |
Newark |
6,349 km (3,945 mi; 3,428 nmi) | 8:50 | Swiss | LX 18[281][282] |
| Boeing 707-300 | Jetliner | Buenos Aires |
Madrid |
10,062 km (6,252 mi; 5,433 nmi) | 13:00 | Aerolineas Argentinas | AR 1132 [283] |
| Boeing 727-100 | Jetliner | New York–JFK |
Los Angeles |
3,983 km (2,475 mi; 2,151 nmi) | 6:00 | MGM Grand Air | MG 300[284] |
| Boeing 727-200ADV | Jetliner | Charlotte |
San Francisco |
3,695 km (2,296 mi; 1,995 nmi) | 5:45 | Piedmont Airlines | PI 7[285] |
| Boeing 737-200 | Jetliner | Montreal |
Vancouver |
3,693 km (2,295 mi; 1,994 nmi) | 5:40 | CP Air | CP 87[286] |
| Boeing 737-300 | Jetliner | San Francisco |
Newark |
4,128 km (2,565 mi; 2,229 nmi) | 5:14 | Continental Airlines | CO 449 |
| Boeing 737-400 | Jetliner |  Oslo |
Gran Canaria |
4,105 km (2,551 mi; 2,217 nmi) | 5:20 | SAS Scandinavian Airlines | SK 4697 |
| Boeing 737-600 | Jetliner | Ottawa |
Vancouver |
3,562 km (2,213 mi; 1,923 nmi) | 5:13 | WestJet | WS 143 |
| Boeing 737-700 | Jetliner | Cairns |
Tokyo–Haneda |
5,838 km (3,628 mi; 3,152 nmi) | 7:45 | Virgin Australia | VA 77 |
| Boeing 737-700ER | Jetliner | Tokyo–Narita |
Mumbai |
6,796 km (4,223 mi; 3,670 nmi) | 9:45 | All Nippon Airways | NH 944[287][288][289][290] |
| Boeing 737-800 | Jetliner | Brasília |
Orlando |
6,079 km (3,777 mi; 3,282 nmi) | 7:50 | Gol Transportes Aéreos | G3 7602 |
| Boeing 737-900 | Jetliner | Miami |
Seattle/Tacoma |
4,384 km (2,724 mi; 2,367 nmi) | 6:57 | Alaska Airlines | AS 17[291][292] |
| Boeing 737-900ER | Jetliner |  Dar es Salaam |
Istanbul |
5,438 km (3,379 mi; 2,936 nmi) | 7:25 | Turkish Airlines | TK 604 |
| Boeing 737 MAX 8 | Jetliner | Melbourne |
 Kuala Lumpur |
6,306 km (3,918 mi; 3,405 nmi) | 8:35 | Batik Air Malaysia | OD 174 / OD 176[293] |
| Boeing 737 MAX 9 | Jetliner | Reykjavik |
Seattle/Tacoma |
5,830 km (3,623 mi; 3,148 nmi) | 7:50 | Icelandair | FI 681 |
| Boeing 747SP | Jetliner | Los Angeles |
Sydney |
12,051 km (7,488 mi; 6,507 nmi) | 15:40 | Pan Am | PA 815[294][note 27] |
| 14:45 | Qantas | QF 12[295] | |||||
| 14:55 | United Airlines | UA 815[296] | |||||
| Boeing 747-100 | Jetliner | Minneapolis/Saint Paul |
Tokyo–Narita |
9,576 km (5,950 mi; 5,171 nmi) | 12:40 | Northwest Airlines | NW 19[297] |
| Boeing 747-200 | Jetliner | New York–JFK |
10,854 km (6,744 mi; 5,861 nmi) | 13:50 | Japan Airlines | JL 5[298] | |
| 13:40 | Northwest Airlines | NW 17[299] | |||||
| 13:50 | United Airlines | UA 801[300] | |||||
| Boeing 747-300 | Jetliner | Hong Kong–Kai Tak |
San Francisco |
11,127 km (6,914 mi; 6,008 nmi) | 11:00 | Singapore Airlines | SQ 2[301][302][303] |
| Boeing 747-400 | Jetliner | Atlanta |
Johannesburg |
13,581 km (8,439 mi; 7,333 nmi) | 15:05 | South African Airways | SA 212[304] |
| Boeing 747-400D | Jetliner | Tokyo–Haneda |
Okinawa–Naha |
1,554 km (966 mi; 839 nmi) | 2:50 | All Nippon Airways | NH 127 |
| Boeing 747-400ER | Jetliner | Sydney |
Dallas/Fort Worth |
13,804 km (8,577 mi; 7,454 nmi) | 15:25 | Qantas | QF 7 |
| Boeing 747-8 | Jetliner | Atlanta |
 Seoul–Incheon |
11,510 km (7,152 mi; 6,215 nmi) | 15:40 | Korean Air | KE 36 |
| Boeing 757-200 | Jetliner | Buenos Aires–Ezeiza |
Mexico City |
7,378 km (4,584 mi; 3,984 nmi) | 9:50 | Mexicana Airlines | MX 1690 |
| Boeing 757-300 | Jetliner | Reykjavik |
Denver |
5,742 km (3,568 mi; 3,100 nmi) | 8:05 | Icelandair | FI 671 |
| Boeing 767-200ER | Jetliner | Tokyo–Narita |
Mexico City |
11,272 km (7,004 mi; 6,086 nmi) | 12:45 | Aeroméxico | AM 57[305] |
| Boeing 767-300ER | Jetliner | ||||||
| Boeing 767-400ER | Jetliner | Munich |
Houston |
8,718 km (5,417 mi; 4,707 nmi) | 11:30 | United Airlines | UA 105 |
| Boeing 777-200 | Jetliner | São Paulo–Guarulhos |
Chicago–O'Hare |
8,404 km (5,222 mi; 4,538 nmi) | 10:30[306] | UA 845 | |
| Boeing 777-200ER | Jetliner | Newark |
Hong Kong |
12,980 km (8,065 mi; 7,009 nmi) | 16:00 | UA 179[307] | |
| Continental Airlines | CO 99[308][note 28] | ||||||
| Boeing 777-200LR | Jetliner | Auckland |
Doha |
14,535 km (9,032 mi; 7,848 nmi) | 17:50 | Qatar Airways | QR 921[309] |
| Boeing 777-300 | Jetliner | Moscow–Vnukovo |
Los Angeles |
9,817 km (6,100 mi; 5,301 nmi) | 14:35 | Transaero | UN 557 |
| Boeing 777-300ER | Jetliner | New York–JFK |
Manila |
13,712 km (8,520 mi; 7,404 nmi) | 17:00 | Philippine Airlines | PR 127 |
| Boeing 787-8 | Jetliner | San Francisco |
Singapore |
13,593 km (8,446 mi; 7,340 nmi) | 16:43 | United Airlines | UA 1 |
| Boeing 787-9 | Jetliner | Papeete |
Paris–CDG |
15,715 km (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) | 16:20[310] | Air Tahiti Nui | TN 64 [23][24][25][26] |
| Boeing 787-10 | Jetliner | Johannesburg |
Newark |
12,858 km (7,990 mi; 6,943 nmi) | 15:50 | United Airlines | UA 187 |
| Bombardier CRJ-200 | Jetliner | Calgary |
Houston |
2,813 km (1,748 mi; 1,519 nmi) | 3:54 | Air Canada Express (op by Jazz Aviation) |
AC 8103 |
| Bombardier CRJ-700 | Jetliner | Atlanta |
Tucson |
2,480 km (1,541 mi; 1,339 nmi) | 4:45 | Delta Connection (op by SkyWest Airlines) |
DL 1976 |
| Bombardier CRJ-900 | Jetliner | Johannesburg |
 Entebbe |
2,931 km (1,821 mi; 1,583 nmi) | 4:15 | Uganda Airlines | UR 711 |
| Comac C919 | Jetliner | Shanghai–Hongqiao |
Chengdu–Tianfu |
1,618 km (1,005 mi; 874 nmi) | 3:10[271] | China Eastern | MU 9197 |
| Consolidated PBY Catalina | Seaplane | Nedlands |
 Koggala |
5,625 km (3,495 mi; 3,037 nmi) | 27:15-32:09[311][312] | Qantas | 1Q / 2Q[313][note 29] |
| Concorde | Super Sonic Transport | Singapore |
 Bahrain[314] |
6,332 km (3,935 mi; 3,419 nmi) | 4:25 | Singapore Airlines | SQ 17 / SQ 301[315] |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | Jetliner | Acapulco |
Los Angeles |
2,665 km (1,656 mi; 1,439 nmi) | 4:05 | Delta Connection (op by ExpressJet Airlines) |
DL 7728[316] |
| Embraer E170 | Jetliner | Newark |
Oklahoma City |
2,132 km (1,325 mi; 1,151 nmi) | 3:38 | United Express | UA 3532 |
| Embraer E175 | Jetliner | Washington–Dulles |
Bozeman |
2,854 km (1,773 mi; 1,541 nmi) | 4:46 | United Express (op by Mesa Airlines) |
UA 6225 |
| Embraer E190 | Jetliner |  Lagos |
 Nairobi |
3,835 km (2,383 mi; 2,071 nmi) | 5:20 | Kenya Airways | KQ 533/535[317] |
| Embraer E195 | Jetliner |  Minsk |
 Astana |
2,923 km (1,816 mi; 1,578 nmi) | 4:00 | Belavia | B2 775 |
| Embraer E190-E2 | Jetliner | Bergen |
 Larnaca |
3,486 km (2,166 mi; 1,882 nmi) | 4:23 | Widerøe | WF 7700 |
| Embraer E195-E2 | Jetliner | Lagos |
Johannesburg |
4,511 km (2,803 mi; 2,436 nmi) | 6:15 | Air Peace | P4 7563[318][319] |
| Douglas DC-8-62 | Jetliner |  Copenhagen |
Los Angeles |
9,050 km (5,623 mi; 4,887 nmi) | 12:35 | SAS Scandinavian Airlines | SK 931[320] |
| Douglas DC-9-50 | Jetliner | Helsinki |
Madrid |
2,950 km (1,833 mi; 1,593 nmi) | 4:25 | Finnair | AY 883[321] |
| Lockheed Constellation L-1649A | Propliner | San Francisco |
Paris–Orly |
9,001 km (5,593 mi; 4,860 nmi) | 19:45 | Trans World Airlines | TW 850[91][96] |
| Lockheed L-1011-500 | Jetliner | Frankfurt |
Los Angeles |
9,344 km (5,806 mi; 5,045 nmi) | 11:55 | Delta Air Lines | DL 57[322] |
| McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30ER | Jetliner | Seattle/Tacoma |
Hong Kong–Kai Tak |
10,443 km (6,489 mi; 5,639 nmi) | 14:25 | United Airlines | UA 17[323] |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | Jetliner | Los Angeles |
11,663 km (7,247 mi; 6,298 nmi) | 15:25 | Delta Air Lines | DL 89[324] | |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-83 | Jetliner |  Malabo |
Madrid |
4,252 km (2,642 mi; 2,296 nmi) | 5:50 | Ecuato Guineana (op by Spanair) |
JK 132 |
| Tupolev Tu-114D | Propliner | Havana |
Moscow–Sheremetyevo |
9,594 km (5,961 mi; 5,180 nmi) | 16:25[325] | Aeroflot | SU 047[326][100] |
| Tupolev Tu-204-300 | Jetliner | Vladivostok |
Moscow–Vnukovo |
6,452 km (4,009 mi; 3,484 nmi) | 8:50 | Vladivostok Air | XF 459[327] |
Scheduled services
New and soon to be launched non-stop flights with distances exceeding 12,988 kilometres (8,070 mi; 7,013 nmi), placing them on the top 30 list, have been announced:
| From | To | Airline | Flight number | Distance | Scheduled duration | Aircraft | First flight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas/Fort Worth |
Hong Kong |
Cathay Pacific | CX 897 | 13,072 km (8,123 mi; 7,058 nmi) | 16:10[328] | A350-1000 | April 24, 2025[329][note 30] |
Envisioned services (by distance)
- On August 25, 2017, Qantas announced "Project Sunrise" aiming to launch new ultra-long-haul non-stop "Kangaroo Routes" from Australia to major destinations including London, New York, and Paris.[332] On October 20, 2019, Qantas demonstrated the New York City to Sydney flight using a Boeing 787-9.[333] The flight took 19 hours, 15 minutes and the 49 people on the plane were staff and selected guests. In order to make the flight possible, the weight had to be precisely trimmed by limiting the number of passengers and cargo weight. One month later, departing on November 14, 2019, and landing on November 15, Qantas demonstrated another "Project Sunrise" route using a 787-9 to fly from London–Heathrow to Sydney Airport non-stop with 52 passengers on board. The flight lasted 19 hours, 19 minutes and traveled a distance of 17,750 kilometres (11,029 mi; 9,584 nmi).[334] In December 2019, Qantas announced they had selected an Airbus A350-1000 (with some potential modifications) for Project Sunrise if the flights proceed.[335] The Airbus A350-1000 entered into service in February 2018 with a range of 16,100 kilometres (10,004 mi; 8,693 nmi)[336] and is capable of flying non-stop both Sydney – London and Sydney – New York City.[337][335]
- In 2018, Turkish Airlines announced it was planning an Istanbul – Sydney route, a great-circle distance of 14,967 km (9,300 mi; 8,082 nmi).[338] Turkish Airlines' chairman stated in June 2023 that their 787-9 current aircraft do not enable year-round nonstop flights to from Istanbul to Australia and therefore will not launch nonstop flights until they receive their ordered Airbus A350-1000 in 2026.[339] Ahead of nonstop flights, Turkish Airlines launched direct flights from Istanbul to Melbourne via Singapore in March 2024[340][341] and announced their intent to launch Sydney via Kuala Lumpur as well before the end of 2024.[342]
- In May 2021, Vietnam Airlines received Vietnam Government approval[343] to use its A350-900 and 787-9 aircraft on multiple non-stop North American routes including the long routes of Ho Chi Minh City to New York–JFK, a great-circle distance of 14,307 km (8,890 mi; 7,725 nmi) and Ho Chi Minh City to Dallas-Fort Worth, a great-circle distance of 14,557 km (9,045 mi; 7,860 nmi).[344][343] In November 2021, Vietnam Airlines launched the first of such transpacific flights flying between Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco.[345]
- According to a report published in September 2015, Miami International Airport (Florida) was in talks with EVA Air and China Airlines of Taiwan to launch before 2018 a non-stop 13,922 km (8,651 mi; 7,517 nmi) flight to Taipei.[346] In June 2016, a chartered China Airlines Boeing 777-300ER carrying Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen flew non-stop from Taipei to Miami before continuing to Panama. The airport director spoke with President Tsai about the opportunity for scheduled service between Miami and Taipei.[347] The airport has been actively pursuing a non-stop flight to East Asia since 2015. There are no non-stop passenger flights between Florida, the third-most populous state in the U.S., and East Asia.[348][349] In May 2017, the region's aviation department director predicted such a flight would happen within the next 24 months.[350] In November 2020, Starlux Airlines applied for rights to operate this Taipei – Miami route along with 14 others.[351] In 2023, Starlux announced they intend to launch one new US destination per year to connect to the "Western, Midwest, and Eastern" US.[352]
- In November 2019, El Al announced it was exploring a new non-stop Tel Aviv – Melbourne route with 3 initial scheduled roundtrip "test" flights,[353] covering a great-circle distance of 13,736 km (8,535 mi; 7,417 nmi).[354] While tickets went on sale in December 2019, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic's impact on international flights, only the first of the three flights was operated on April 2, 2020. It covered an actual flight distance of 14,760 km (9,171 mi; 7,970 nmi).[355] The flight distance was 1000 km longer than the great-circle distance for the route due to flights to and from Israel were not allowed to traverse Saudi Arabian or Omani airspace. In July 2022, Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all Israeli carriers for the first time[356] and in February 2023 Oman opened its airspace to all "qualified commercial carriers"[357] thus bringing the operation of this route along the great-circle routing closer to viability. In March 2023, El Al signed a LOI and announced they are (re)launching this route "by June 2024" with thrice weekly services using their Boeing 787 fleet.[358][359]
- In October 2024, Air India received approval from India's DGCA for flights to be operated from New Delhi to Dallas Fort Worth. The approved flight of AI 109 would cover a great circle distance of 13,173 km (8,185 mi; 7,113 nmi) if/when it is scheduled for sale and operation.[360]
- In September 2023, in its updated marketing materials, Turkish Airlines announced their future routes they are working to develop. Amongst the ones newly added was an Istanbul-Santiago route that if operated non-stop will cover a great circle distance of 13,094 km (8,136 mi; 7,070 nmi).[361] This route was mentioned again by the Turkish Airlines chairman in March 2024 of envisioned launching in 2026 once their A350-1000 aircraft started to be delivered.[339]
Services that never began
- In August 2015, Emirates announced that non-stop flights between Dubai and Panama City, Panama would begin on 1 February 2016, covering 13,821 km (8,588 mi; 7,463 nmi)[362] in 17 hours, 35 minutes westbound. In January 2016, the start was postponed to 31 March 2016. In early March 2016, Emirates postponed the route until the end of 2016 or early 2017 or "as soon as conditions allow." Emirates latest public update on this route was in April 2018 where Emirates' CCO stated "We are still looking at Panama. We had some conversations recently with a delegation from Panama".[363] In 2015, it would have been the world's longest non-stop flight.
- In July 2019, Qantas announced and began selling tickets for new non-stop flights between Brisbane and Chicago-O'Hare that would begin operation in April 2020 covering 14,325 km (8,901 mi; 7,735 nmi) in 16 hours, 20 minutes eastbound using a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. (Flight number QF 85 and 86 in reference to the Chicago Bears 1986 Super Bowl Championship team).[364][365] However, in March 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic Qantas announced it was delaying the route's launch to September 2020. In July 2020, as part of Australia's pandemic response, almost all international flights were canceled until March 2021, including this new route.[366] In January 2021, Qantas reopened its international flights for booking for 2021 and this new route was no longer included in their schedules for the foreseeable future/the rest of 2021. It would have been the world's fourth longest non-stop flight. In early 2023, the topic was surfaced again by Qantas, but still no firm plans announced for the envisioning of launching this route.[367]
- In February 2020, American Airlines announced flight AA180/181 between Seattle–Tacoma and Bengaluru, covering a great-circle distance of 13,000 km (8,078 mi; 7,019 nmi).[368] Though originally planned for October 2020, the launch was delayed repeatedly amid the COVID-19 pandemic and as of 2024 has not happened.[369][370][371][372]
- Flight length
- ETOPS
- Flight distance record
- Flight endurance record
- World's longest domestic flight
- Westray to Papa Westray flight, the shortest commercial flight in the world
- Note The "Double Sunrise" route continued to be operated from July 18, 1945 until April 6, 1946 by Qantas Liberators (loaned from BOAC) and Qantas Avro Lancastrians, but with shorter flown distances (departing what is now PER, stopping for refuelling at the RAF base at Minneriya, and landing at what is now CMB) and shorter flight times (faster cruise speeds).[72]
- Service began on June 28, 2004, at which point it was the longest non-stop commercial flight. This flight was operated using an A340-500 in an all business class configuration of 100 seats from 2008 until the route's cancellation on November 23, 2013.[172][173]
The route was revived on 11 Oct 2018 using an A350-900 operating until 25 Mar 2020 when it was ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The route was subsequently restarted on March 27, 2022 using an A350-900ULR with 67 business class and 94 premium economy seats. - This flight was previously operated by QR from February 6, 2017 - April 19, 2020 using Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. At the time of its launch (Feb 2017) it was the longest flight in the world. It was resumed by Qatar Airways on September 1, 2023.
- The PER-LHR flight was originally launched on March 24, 2018, it paused its operations during COVID with its last flight operated on September 22, 2021, (and a replacement QF9 flight was subsequently temporarily operated from DRW). The PER-LHR Route was subsequently resumed on 23 May 2022.[177]
- Service began on March 2, 2016, operated by Boeing 777-200LR between March 3, 2016 and October 29, 2016 before being upgauged to the A380. It was suspended between March 29, 2020 and December 2, 2022.
- The outbound leg is a direct flight from Shenzhen to Mexico City. The returning leg, however, makes a refueling stop at Tijuana due to wind directions and the reduced takeoff performance due to the high elevation of Mexico City.
- Service began Jan 9, 2021 using the Boeing 777-200LR aircraft and the route was initially operated until Mar 26, 2022. It was resumed on Dec 2, 2022.
- The date given for the start of Qantas Flight 8 is when it began flying non-stop after switching to the Airbus A380-800 from the Boeing 747-400ER. Previously, QF 8 required a stop in Brisbane, though the eastbound QF 7 from Sydney was always non-stop. The first flight of QF 7 was May 16, 2011.[195]
- This route has also been operated by a Boeing 777-300ER at various points in the past.
- DL201 originally began on June 9, 2009 operated by a 777-200LR.[202] It ended on April 20, 2020 prior to relaunching 16 months later on August 1, 2021 operated by an A350-900.[203] This route was first operated (in an eastbound direction, ATL-JNB only) non-stop by South African Airways with a Boeing 747-400 on Feb 1, 2000, which was the longest commercial flight at the time.
- This route has also been operated by the Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER at various points in the past.
- This route was primarily operated by the Boeing 777-200LR between January 1, 2016 and July 1, 2020, with some sporadic operation by the Boeing 777-300ER.
- Note the westbound part of this route was previously operated by Qantas with their 747-400ER until Sep 29, 2014 as part of the DFW-BNE-SYD triangle route. This flight is the first nonstop commercial flight eastbound from BNE to DFW.
- This route has also been operated by a Boeing 777-300ER at various points in the past.
- This route has also been operated by the Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER at various points in the past.
- This route has also been operated by the Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER at various points in the past.
- Service on this route previously began on April 1, 2001 by United Airlines using Boeing 747-400 aircraft, at which time it was the world's longest daily non-stop commercial flight. United subsequently ended the route on Sep 1, 2001. Cathay Pacific formerly operated this route with the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.[218]
- This is a relaunch of the SIN-SEA route operated by Singapore Airlines from Sep 3, 2019 – Mar 22, 2020.
- In 2019, El Al, had announced 3 scheduled "trial flights" TLV-MEL and tickets were placed on sale, however due to the travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, they only operated the first of the three planned flights but still on a commercial basis, not as a repatriation flight (TLV-PER two weeks prior followed by TLV-MEL in April).[239] This route continues to be examined for future operation by El Al, see Envisioned services
- This route continues to be scheduled with tickets on sale, even though it has not operated in several years. It is not expected that this route will resume operation in the near future due to the ban on American carriers using Russian airspace, which is needed for this route.
- EK 213 now operates to nearby Miami International Airport with the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
- BR 32 now operates to nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport also with the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
- This was the world's longest flight from its commencement in 1996 until its cancellation in 1998. Now operates to nearby Hong Kong International Airport with the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft.
- The flight number appears to have corresponded to each day of the week that the flight operated.
- Service began in late 1982, and continued as PA 815 until United bought Pan Am's Pacific route network in April 1985. On February 12, 1986, the flight was renumbered to UA 815.
- Service began on March 1, 2001, and continued as CO 99 until shortly before United and Continental merged in early 2012. On February 15, 2012, the flight was renumbered to UA 117, and subsequently again renumbered to UA 179 on December 15, 2014. The last flight was on February 4, 2020.
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