Longest flights

Measurement method The length of a flight can be defined in different ways, with the most common standard flight length measurement being great-circle distance, a formula that calculates the shortest distance across the curvature of the Earth for two airports' ARPs. As the only measurement that remains consistent between a specific city-pair and unaffected by operational factors, it is the standard used to represent flight distances in commercial aviation and is used by governing agencies like ICAO, flight schedule providers and airlines themselves. 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). • 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. • 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. • 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). 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. 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. ==Airliners==

The longest-range Airbus jetliner in service is the Airbus A350-900ULR, which is capable of flying with up to 250 passengers in mixed seating. The A380 is capable of flying with 544 passengers. The standard A350-900 can fly with 325 passengers. Airbus is currently developing a variant of the A350-1000 for Qantas which will have the same range as its sister model the Airbus A350-900ULR (18,000 kilometres; 11,000 mi; 9,700 nmi). 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. Enabling the ability to fly between Sydney and London with a range of just over 18,500 kilometres (11,510 mi; 10,000 nmi). The announced Boeing 777-8 will be capable of flying with 350 to 375 passengers, with the Boeing 787-9 being able to fly with 290 passengers. Many ultra 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. For example, Singapore Airlines Flights 21 and 22, the route launched in 2004 but called it off in 2013, back then operating costs are vulnerable to fluctuations in oil prices and passenger experience also differs from other routes, because the A340 operates in an all-business-class layout, maintaining sufficient guest traffic and controlling expenses becomes challenging, making the model economically unviable. Given flight durations exceeding 16 hours and sometimes fuel savings are achieved through jet stream, specially designed cabins (Stretching zone, sky bar and sleep pod, etc.) and high-speed internet have been introduced accordingly, to set a new standard for future long-haul. ==History==

In the 1910's, the world's first commercial intercity air routes were operated by airships. With the rise of fixed-wing aircraft, the records for longest flights started to emerge. Since the first scheduled commercial passenger flight in 1914 that covered , records for the longest flight (by great-circle distance) were rapidly set and continue to be set today. 1920s and 1930s 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. • • • • 1940s and 1950s • • • • • • • 1960s and 1970s • • • • • 1980s and 1990s • • 2000s and 2010s In the late 2000s/early 2010s, rising fuel prices coupled with the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession caused the cancellation of many ultra long-haul, non-stop flights. This included the services provided by Singapore Airlines from Singapore to both Newark and Los Angeles that were ended in late 2013. 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. • • • • • • 2020s • • ==Current longest flight==

By great-circle distance On November 9, 2020, Singapore Airlines Flights 23 and 24 became the longest active scheduled passenger flight by great-circle distance, using an Airbus A350-900ULR between Singapore Changi Airport and New York JFK Airport at . 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, a distance of in a scheduled duration of 16 hours, 20 minutes. This route was operated from March to April 2020. This route was previously operated with a refueling stop at Los Angeles International Airport, where all passengers would disembark and pass through United States Customs & Border Protection, then re-board and continue to Paris. However, to comply with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions banning European travelers from entering the United States, the airline opted not to stop at Los Angeles in March and April 2020. The route was also made possible by the aircraft's reduced passenger load of about 150 passengers, which eliminated the need to refuel. This route also set a record for the world's longest 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. over the Pacific Ocean where jet streams can assist, while SQ23 back to Singapore holds the current record for the second longest flight by ground distance as it sometimes opts, instead of the westward polar route, to fly a ground distance of eastward, across the Atlantic Ocean, when favorable jet streams winds are available to save flying time and fuel. Similarly, the two Air India flights from New Delhi to San Francisco, AI173 and AI183, fly an eastward ground distance of about over the Pacific Ocean instead of the shorter polar great-circle route of about to avoid prevailing westerly headwinds and save almost two hours of flying time. Both these flights can travel with some variation in ground distance, with a report of for the first such flight in 2016, and it is not unheard of for particular flights to cover more than . Cathay Pacific flights from Hong Kong to New York–JFK sometimes fly ground routes, instead of a great-circle route, for the same reason. 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. In response a number of flights from Japan to Europe changed to 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 or longer, compared to a great-circle distance of . Others, such as Lufthansa's flight LH716 from Frankfurt to Tokyo-Haneda, instead avoid Russian airspace by flying over the Caucasus, Central Asia, and China. ==Longest passenger flights==

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). Add one row as entry, B to A with FL02 flight details --> Direct flights (top 30, by city pair great-circle distance) 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. 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. Discontinued non-stop flights (top 30, by great-circle distance) == Longest passenger flights (by aircraft type) ==

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. ==Other record flights (non-scheduled)==

Promotional and delivery flights A number of promotional or delivery flights have extended the record of longest non-stop flights by a commercial aircraft: • • • • • Non-scheduled commercial flights flew from London to Sydney non-stop during its 1989 promotional flight, flying 17,000 kilometers in about 20 hours.|250x250px • • ==Future routes==

Scheduled services The below new, and scheduled to be launched, flights have been announced: Non-stop flights With a distance exceeding , these will be placed on the top 30 list: Direct flights With a total distance between origin and destination exceeding , these will be placed on the top 30 list: Envisioned services • 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 flight to Taipei. 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. The airport has been actively pursuing a non-stop flight to East Asia since 2015. There were no non-stop passenger flights between Florida, the third-most populous state in the U.S., and East Asia, until February 2026 between Orlando and Tokyo Narita. In May 2017, the region's aviation department director predicted such a flight would happen within the next 24 months. In November 2020, Starlux Airlines applied for rights to operate this Taipei – Miami route along with 14 others. In 2023, Starlux announced they intend to launch one new US destination per year to connect to the "Western, Midwest, and Eastern" US. • 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. On October 20, 2019, Qantas demonstrated the New York-JFK to Sydney flight using a Boeing 787-9. 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 . In December 2019, Qantas announced they had selected an Airbus A350-1000 (with some potential modifications) for Project Sunrise if the flights proceed. The Airbus A350-1000 entered into service in February 2018 with a range of and is capable of flying non-stop both Sydney – London and Sydney – New York City. covering a great-circle distance of . 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 . 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 and in February 2023 Oman opened its airspace to all "qualified commercial carriers" 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. • In May 2021, Vietnam Airlines received government's approval 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 and Ho Chi Minh City to Dallas-Fort Worth, a great-circle distance of . • 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 to Santiago route that if operated non-stop, will cover a great circle distance of . 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. An indirect version of the service with a stopover in São Paulo began in late 2024, with the airline's first plane landing at Santiago's Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport on December 18. • In October 2024, Air India received approval from India's DGCA for flights to be operated from New Delhi to Dallas, the approved flight of AI 109 would cover a great circle distance of if/when it is scheduled for sale and operation. • In December 2024, it was reported that Turkish Airlines, which currently operates direct flights from Istanbul to Melbourne via Singapore and to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur, would start non-stop flights from Istanbul to Melbourne, a great-circle distance of , and from Istanbul to Sydney, a great-circle distance of , in 2026, upon delivery of Airbus A350-1000 jets. • In January 2025, Turkish Airlines announced their intention to start direct flights from Istanbul to Auckland via Singapore in 2025. In April 2025, it was reported that non-stop flights from Istanbul to Auckland, a great-circle distance of , were also considered. Services that never began • In August 2015, Emirates announced that non-stop flights between Dubai and Panama City would begin on February 1, 2016, covering in 17 hours, 35 minutes westbound. In January 2016, the start was postponed to March 31, 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". 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 that would begin operation in April 2020 covering 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). 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. 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. • In February 2020, American Airlines announced flight AA180/181 between Seattle–Tacoma and Bengaluru, covering a great-circle distance of . Though originally planned for October 2020, the launch was delayed repeatedly amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has not launched. ==See also==