The 17 Longest Nonstop Flights In The World (2023)

Over the past decade we’ve seen a trend whereby airlines have added an incredible number of new ultra long haul flights. Admittedly the pandemic temporarily reversed that trend for a couple of years, given border restrictions and the decrease in business travel.

It seems that we’re turning a corner when it comes to travel demand, and we’re starting to see airlines once again resume ultra long haul flights. Not only that, but in recent months we’ve even seen several new ultra long haul routes revealed.

In this post I wanted to summarize the world’s longest flights, what other ultra long haul flights might be on the horizon, and share why these are more practical than in the past.

(Video) Top 10 Longest Flights In The World

Why ultra long haul flights are more practical than ever

Why have we seen airlines launch so many ultra long haul flights in the past several years? It primarily comes down to new aircraft technology. In the past decade the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 have become the backbone of many carriers’ long haul fleets, and these planes are great for airlines and passengers:

  • The planes are ultra long range, and can operate some nonstop flights that previous generation aircraft couldn’t
  • The planes have lower capacity than previous generation aircraft (like the Boeing 747), which opens up more viable markets; it’s much easier to profitably fill 250 seats than it is to profitably fill 400 seats
  • The planes have great economics, and per-passenger fuel burn is significantly lower than previous generation aircraft

So yeah, long range, fuel efficient, low capacity aircraft have done wonders for airlines when it comes to the viability of ultra long haul city pairs. Many routes that could have previously never been profitable now make sense.

(Video) World's longest flight lands after more than 17 hours in the air

The 17 Longest Nonstop Flights In The World (1)

The world’s 17 longest nonstop flights as of October 2022

Global aviation came to a standstill during the pandemic, but it has recovered nicely, with more and more airlines resuming ultra long haul flights. As a result, I figured it was a good time to check in on the world’s longest flights, given how much the list has changed over the years. Let’s take a look at the 17 longest flights.

I’m basing this list on direct air distance between city pairs, since obviously Russian airspace issues are causing airlines to largely operate circuitous routings. Furthermore, I think distance is a better metric than length of flight, since winds can also have an impact on the duration of flights, and on top of that, some airlines do a lot of schedule padding.

Note that I’ll be counting flights that are either currently operating, or that are expected to be launched or resumed before the end of 2022, based on current schedules (and if they’re not currently operating, I’ll note it below). What’s pretty amazing to me is that all of these flights are over 8,200 miles, which is a long way to go nonstop.

What are the world’s longest flights? Here they are, starting with the longest (I’m including the airline that operates the route, the distance, and the aircraft type used):

(Video) The World's LONGEST Flight - QANTAS London to Sydney

  1. Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK) / Singapore Airlines / 9,537 miles / Airbus A350-900ULR
  2. Singapore (SIN) to Newark (EWR) / Singapore Airlines / 9,523 miles / Airbus A350-900ULR
  3. Perth (PER) to London (LHR) / Qantas / 9,010 miles / Boeing 787-9
  4. Melbourne (MEL) to Dallas (DFW) / Qantas / 8,992 miles / Boeing 787-9 (launches December 2, 2022)
  5. Auckland (AKL) to New York (JFK) / Air New Zealand & Qantas / 8,828 miles / Boeing 787-9 (launches September 17, 2022 and June 14, 2023, respectively)
  6. Dubai (DXB) to Auckland (AKL) / Emirates / 8,824 miles / Airbus A380 (resumes December 2, 2022)
  7. Singapore (SIN) to Los Angeles (LAX) / Singapore Airlines / 8,770 miles / Airbus A350-900
  8. Houston (IAH) to Sydney (SYD) / United Airlines / 8,596 miles / Boeing 787-9 (resumes October 28, 2022)
  9. Sydney (SYD) to Dallas (DFW) / Qantas / 8,578 miles / Boeing 787-9
  10. Manila (MNL) to New York (JFK) / Philippine Airlines / 8,520 miles / Airbus A350-900
  11. Singapore (SIN) to San Francisco (SFO) / Singapore Airlines & United Airlines / 8,446 miles / Airbus A350-900 & Boeing 787-9
  12. Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg (JNB) / Delta / 8,439 miles / Airbus A350-900
  13. Dubai (DXB) to Los Angeles (LAX) / Emirates / 8,339 miles / Airbus A380
  14. Jeddah (JED) to Los Angeles (LAX) / Saudia / 8,332 miles / Boeing 777-300ER (resumes April 25, 2022)
  15. Doha (DOH) to Los Angeles (LAX) / Qatar Airways / 8,306 miles / Airbus A350-1000
  16. Perth (PER) to Rome (FCO) / Qantas / 8,298 miles / Boeing 787-9
  17. Manila (MNL) to Toronto (YYZ) / Philippine Airlines / 8,221 miles / Airbus A350-900
The 17 Longest Nonstop Flights In The World (2)

I intentionally left out the flight times, since they fluctuate throughout the year due to winds. Furthermore, some airlines pad their schedules more than others (in order to create artificial on-time arrivals). All 17 of these flights are blocked anywhere between 16hr20min and 18hr50min.

Here’s a map with all the routes, which is quite cluttered, as you can see:

The 17 Longest Nonstop Flights In The World (3)

What record-breaking flights are on the horizon?

A majority of the world’s longest flights have been launched in the past several years, which raises the question of what other record-breaking flights might be on the horizon. The most exciting developments are the upcoming launches of Air New Zealand’s Auckland to New York flight, Qantas’ Auckland to New York flight, and Qantas’ Melbourne to Dallas flight.

What else is on the horizon?

(Video) What It's Like To Test The World's Longest Flight

  • Pre-pandemic Qantas planned to launch a Brisbane to Chicago flight, which would cover a distance of 8,916 miles; it’s anyone’s guess if this route ends up launching, or if Qantas instead focuses on Melbourne and Sydney
  • Qantas is continuing to work on “Project Sunrise,” whereby the airline hopes to fly nonstop from Melbourne and Sydney to London and New York using Airbus A350-1000s; flights are only expected to launch in 2025, and that’s a best case scenario timeline
The 17 Longest Nonstop Flights In The World (4)

Next, while these flights aren’t 8,200+ miles (or are routes that aren’t currently operated), there are some other ultra long haul flights that have either recently launched or are on the horizon:

  • United Airlines launched a nonstop Newark to Johannesburg flight, which covers a distance of 7,989 miles
  • Singapore Airlines launched a nonstop Singapore to Seattle flight, which covers a distance of 8,073 miles
  • Vietnam Airlines launched a Ho Chi Minh City to San Francisco flight, which covers a distance of 7,838 miles
  • Delta Air Lines plans to launch an Atlanta to Cape Town flight, which will cover a distance of 8,130 miles
  • American Airlines plans to launch a nonstop Seattle to Bangalore flight, which will cover a distance of 8,078 miles
  • United Airlines plans to launch a nonstop San Francisco to Bangalore flight, which will be one of the world’s longest flights, at 8,701 miles (though Air India already operated this route, but it has since been suspended)
  • Bamboo Airways plans to launch flights from Vietnam to the United States, though it’s anyone’s guess how exactly that plays out, and which route will be operated
The 17 Longest Nonstop Flights In The World (5)

Bottom line

As airlines rebuild their global route networks, we’re not only seeing the resumption of some ultra long haul flights, but even the introduction of some new ones. We’ve seen so many new long haul flights launched in the past five years or so, thanks to how amazing the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 are. Compared to previous generation aircraft, these planes are low capacity, long range, and fuel efficient.

While these marathon flights are great for those traveling in a premium cabin, I can’t imagine doing a nonstop flight like this in economy. In those situations I feel like I’d rather break up the journey than fly nonstop. Heck, even in business class I feel like some of these flights are too long.

Which ultra long haul flight do you find most interesting, and what do you think we’ll see added next?

(Video) World's longest non-stop flight: 17 hours in the sky

FAQs

What is the world's longest nonstop flight? ›

Singapore Airlines currently operates the longest flight in the world: a whopping 9,527-mile nonstop journey from New York to Singapore.

What are the top 20 longest flights? ›

The longest flights in the world
  1. New York to Singapore: 15,349km. ...
  2. Newark to Singapore: 15,345km. ...
  3. Perth to London: 14,498km. ...
  4. Dallas/Fort Worth to Melbourne: 14,472km. ...
  5. New York to Auckland: 14,207km. ...
  6. Auckland to Dubai: 14,200km. ...
  7. Los Angeles to Singapore: 14,114km. ...
  8. Houston to Sydney: 13,834km.

How long is the world's longest flight? ›

Singapore Airlines currently holds the title for operating the world's two longest flights at over 9,500 miles each. The pandemic forced some one-off long-haul records, like Air Tahiti Nui's 9,765-mile trek from Papeete to Paris.

How long can a plane fly without stopping? ›

This depends on the size of the plane, its efficiency, and how fast it's flying. A modern Boeing 747 can fly about 15,000 km (9,500 miles) when it's flying at 900 kmh (550 mph). This means it can fly non stop for almost 16 hours!

What is the current longest flight? ›

Singapore to New York: 18 hours and 40 minutes

Singapore Airlines flight SQ24 to New York's John F Kennedy International airport is currently the longest commercial journey in the world, taking passengers more than 15,000 kilometres from the city-state to the eastern US cityUS on Airbus A350-900s.

Can pilots sleep while flying? ›

Typically, short distance sectors are manned by two pilots, while long-haul flights can have three or four pilots. One of the two pilots manning the cockpit is allowed to take rest or sleep inside the cockpit by sliding the seat back and locking the harness. This practice is known as “controlled rest”.

How do you survive a 13 hour flight? ›

Invest some time in adding distracting material to your carry-on. Include books and magazines; make sure any movies, audiobooks or music are downloaded on your digital devices. And don't forget your own ear buds or headphones. If you're especially sensitive to noise, consider investing in the noise-canceling variety.

What is the shortest flight? ›

The word's shortest nonstop flight is a tiny hop between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray in the United Kingdom, a mere 1.7 miles (2.7 km) apart.

Do pilots listen to music? ›

Yes, the FAA permits pilots to listen to music as long as it's not distracting. Some headphones have the ability to have two inputs, one for comms and one for music, and can silence the music whenever audio is detected on the comms input.

Why do planes not fly over the Pacific Ocean? ›

The Pacific Ocean is a massive body of water that will require an extremely large amount of fuel to fly across. Rather than flying directly across the Pacific Ocean, most commercial flights take curved routes because they are actually shorter than shooting straight across a distance.

Do planes refuel after every flight? ›

Yes commercial planes almost always refuel after each and every flight. While this does take time, it can easily be accomplished when the plane is being serviced in other ways.

Can a plane fly with one wing? ›

All Airplanes Actually Have Only One Wing - YouTube

How do I survive a 20 hour flight? ›

15 Tips for Surviving a Long Flight
  1. Upgrade. ...
  2. Choose your seat wisely. ...
  3. Power up. ...
  4. Pack a pillow (and a blanket) ...
  5. Wear comfortable clothes. ...
  6. Don't forget an eye mask and earplugs. ...
  7. Noise-cancellation headphones and soft music. ...
  8. Buckle up.
11 Jul 2022

Which is the No 1 airline in the world? ›

Qatar Airways was named the No. 1 airline in the world again in 2022.

Why can't I sleep on planes? ›

What makes sleeping on a plane so much harder than on land? For most travellers, a lack of privacy and personal space; dry, recycled air; turbulence and noise are a few factors that make it really hard to fall sleep. But Zeitzer says two big barriers to sleep are actually within our control: stress and anxiety.

What is the longest nonstop flight in the US? ›

Hawaiian's Honolulu-Boston is the longest; for context, it's only 7% shorter than Los Angeles-London Heathrow. The 23 routes average 4,013 miles (6,458km), equivalent internationally to JFK-Munich and almost Miami-Santiago (Chile).

How do you survive a 13 hour flight? ›

Invest some time in adding distracting material to your carry-on. Include books and magazines; make sure any movies, audiobooks or music are downloaded on your digital devices. And don't forget your own ear buds or headphones. If you're especially sensitive to noise, consider investing in the noise-canceling variety.

How do I survive a 20 hour flight? ›

15 Tips for Surviving a Long Flight
  1. Upgrade. ...
  2. Choose your seat wisely. ...
  3. Power up. ...
  4. Pack a pillow (and a blanket) ...
  5. Wear comfortable clothes. ...
  6. Don't forget an eye mask and earplugs. ...
  7. Noise-cancellation headphones and soft music. ...
  8. Buckle up.
11 Jul 2022

Which is the No 1 airline in the world? ›

Qatar Airways was named the No. 1 airline in the world again in 2022.

Can pilots sleep while flying? ›

Typically, short distance sectors are manned by two pilots, while long-haul flights can have three or four pilots. One of the two pilots manning the cockpit is allowed to take rest or sleep inside the cockpit by sliding the seat back and locking the harness. This practice is known as “controlled rest”.

How long is a flight to Australia? ›

Flying time from United States to Australia

The total flight duration from United States to Australia is 19 hours, 26 minutes. This assumes an average flight speed for a commercial airliner of 500 mph, which is equivalent to 805 km/h or 434 knots. It also adds an extra 30 minutes for take-off and landing.

What should you not wear when flying? ›

Tight waistbands, skirts, blouses and shirts are all no-no's while traveling, for the simple reason that our bodies naturally swell when we fly. Restrictive clothing does not pair well with bloating, also common on airplanes.

Is it OK to wear leggings on a plane? ›

If your go-to travelling outfit involves leggings, you might want to have a rethink next time you're heading off on a flight. According to one expert, you should never wear leggings on a flight, and it's all to do with some important safety reasons.

What should I wear on a long flight? ›

9 Things You Can Wear on Long Flights
  • Loose fitting or stretchy clothing. Long flights are the one time when comfort is more important than style. ...
  • Layers, layers and more layers. ...
  • Natural, breathable fabrics. ...
  • Large scarf. ...
  • Compression stockings or socks. ...
  • Comfortable slip-on shoes. ...
  • Warm socks. ...
  • Ear plugs.

What should you not eat before a long flight? ›

Foods to avoid before flying
  • Salty or processed food. This is a great rule to follow anyway, but don't snack on a Hungry Jacks before the flight. ...
  • Cruciferous vegetables, or beans. ...
  • Caffeine and Alcohol. ...
  • Nuts (unsalted) ...
  • Fruit. ...
  • 'Umami' flavoured snacks. ...
  • Water, water, more water. ...
  • Moisturizer.
30 Jul 2017

Can you use your phone on a plane? ›

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) currently prohibits the use of mobile phones aboard any aircraft in flight.

How do you sleep on an international flight? ›

21 Tips for Sleeping on Long-Haul International Flights
  1. Book a red-eye. ...
  2. Download a sleep app. ...
  3. Book a window seat. ...
  4. 4. …or choose a seat far from the lavatory. ...
  5. Wear yourself out before your flight. ...
  6. Bring noise-canceling headphones. ...
  7. Upgrade your seat. ...
  8. Gradually begin adjusting your internal clock days in advance.
17 Feb 2022

What snacks can you bring on a plane? ›

Solid food items (not liquids or gels) can be transported in either your carry-on or checked bags. Liquid or gel food items larger than 3.4 oz are not allowed in carry-on bags and should be placed in your checked bags if possible.

How can I fly with anxiety? ›

What to Do if You're Anxious About Flying
  1. Know Your Triggers.
  2. Find Relaxation Techniques.
  3. Anticipate Your Anxiety.
  4. Appreciate Each Flight.
  5. Understand the Phobia.
9 Sept 2021

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