Over time, commercial airlines have established a number of scheduledultra long-haulnon-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]
The length of a flight can be defined in different ways.[4] The most common standard flight length measurement is bygreat-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]
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 andairport 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 asASHTAMs andETOPS limitations), or even cost savings (optimization ofoverflight payments).[16][17]
There are numerous different types of flights globally operated by differentaircraft for different industries and purposes. The term "longest flight" is most commonly used in reference to flights that arecommercial, 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]
This route was previously operated with a refueling stop atLos Angeles International Airport, where all passengers would disembark the aircraft and pass throughUnited States Customs & Border Protection before re-boarding and continuing to Paris. However, to comply withCOVID-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 theworld's longest domestic passenger flight, as it flew between French territories.
An illustration of the great-circle route versus an optimized jetstream route between San Francisco and Tokyo. Note the eastbound (to San Francisco) route, opting to take a longer route (by ground distance) that uses the jetstream to save time and fuel.
Routings may avoidgreat-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) areSingapore Airlines' flights SQ23 (second longest) and SQ24 (longest) betweenSingapore-Changi andNew York–JFK in the U.S. Both of these flights have a geometrically optimal great-circle route near theNorth 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 wherejet 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 twoAir India flights fromNew Delhi toSan 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 theAtlantic 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 fromHong Kong toNew 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 theRussian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, aircraft registered in or operated by multiple countries, including theEuropean 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 fromTokyo–Narita toZurich 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.
The Pan Am Martin M-130 'Hawaii Clipper' that flew the first commercial transpacific flight
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 (1926-05-23):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 withWestern Air Express' launch of its scheduled non-stop flight betweenSalt Lake City (Woodward Field) andLas Vegas (Anderson Field). This non-stop flight covered a great circle distance of 585 km (364 mi; 316 nmi) in approximately 5 hours using aDouglas M-2.[48][49][50]
August 21, 1934 (1934-08-21):A new record of longest commercial non-stop flight is flown byPan American Airways using their brand newSikorsky 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]
September 9, 1940 (1940-09-09):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 theirBoeing 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 (1943-06-29) – July 17, 1945 (1945-07-17):Qantas operated "The Double Sunrise", a weekly 5,652-kilometre (3,512 mi; 3,052 nmi) flight betweenPerth, Australia andKoggala in Ceylon (nowSri Lanka) with average flight times of around 28 hours, using aConsolidated 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 (1949-01-26) – July 20, 1949 (1949-07-20):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 secondPolitionele 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 newLockheed 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) fromPort Louis, Mauritius toBatavia, Dutch East Indies (nowJakarta, Indonesia) in a scheduled time of 15 hours, 15 minutes.[78][79][80][81][82]
November 18, 1952 (1952-11-18):Utilizing the recently better understood phenomenon of the Polarjet stream, Pan Am launched non-stop passenger service fromTokyo-Haneda to Honolulu aboard aBoeing 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 (1957-09-29):ATrans World AirlinesLockheed 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 (1957-10-02):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 (1957-10-03):Trans World Airlines broke their own longest flight record with the launch ofTW850'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]
An El Al Boeing 707 (4X-ATB) that flew the longest flight in 1961 between New York City and Tel Aviv
June 15, 1961 (1961-06-15):El Al used its newBoeing 707-458s[97] to start the non-stop route fromNew York Idlewild Airport toTel 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 aBristol Britannia.[98]
January 7, 1963 (1963-01-07):As a result of Cold War tensions and loss of landing permissions on the route's previous intermediary stops,Aeroflot used theirTupolev Tu-114D, the largest commercial passenger plane ever built as of 1963, to change their eastbound route fromHavana toMoscow 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 (1967-08-06):Aerolíneas Argentinas established its non-stopBoeing 707-320B service on a 10,062 kilometres (6,252 mi; 5,433 nmi) route betweenMadrid andBuenos 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.
A Pan Am 747SP that operated the longest flight in 1976 between New York City and Tokyo
December 12, 1976 (1976-12-12):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 ofSydney–San Francisco, covering 11,937 kilometres (7,417 mi; 6,445 nmi) in a scheduled 13 hours 15 minutes.[107][108][109]
South African Airways' first 747-400, that launched the longest non-stop flight in 1991 from New York City to Johannesburg
November 4, 1982 (1982-11-04):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 (1991-11-03):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]
February 1, 2000 (2000-02-01):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 (2001-03-01):With thedissolution of the Soviet Union, commercial overflights over Russia were now possible, allowingnew 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 fromNewark to Hong Kong flyingBoeing 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 (2001-04-01):Within a month,United Airlines started its own New York–JFK to Hong Kong service withBoeing 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 (2004-02-03):Singapore Airlines set a new record using theAirbus 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 (2004-06-08):Singapore Airlines used its A340-500 aircraft to beat its own record; launching FlightSQ 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 theNorth 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]
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900ULR (one of only seven ever produced) taxiing at New York JFK having just completed the world's current longest non-stop flight from Singapore.
In the late 2000s/early 2010s, rising fuel prices coupled with theGreat 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]
November 9, 2020 (2020-11-09):Singapore Airlines launched the longest currently active scheduled passenger flight ofSQ 23/24 betweenSingapore andNew York–JFK at 15,349 kilometres (9,537 mi; 8,288 nmi) operated by anAirbus A350-900.[131] On January 16, 2021, this route was changed to operate using an A350-900ULR.[132][133]
Boeing 777-200LR (N6066Z) flew a demonstration flight from Hong Kong to London non-stop in 2005 in an unusual east-bound route, setting a new world record at the time for a commercial airliner at 21,602 kilometers covered in 22 hours 42 minutes.[134]
A number of promotional or delivery flights have extended the record of longest non-stop flights by a commercial aircraft:
March 23, 1976 (1976-03-23):South African Airways' delivery flight of their firstBoeing 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), fromPaine Field (nearSeattle) to Cape Town, South Africa in 17 hours and 22 minutes.[135][136][137]
August 16, 1989 (1989-08-16):The first QantasBoeing 747-400, VH-OJA, theCity 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 (1993-06-16):AnAirbus A340-200, F-WWBA, dubbedTheWorld Ranger, set two new records as it flew an around the world route. First flying 19,089 kilometres (11,861 mi; 10,307 nmi) fromParis-Le Bourget Airport toAuckland, 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 (1997-03-31):ABoeing 777-200ER, "The Super Ranger", flew 20,045 kilometres (12,455 mi; 10,823 nmi) eastward from Seattle'sBoeing Field toKuala Lumpur, Malaysia, prior to refueling and completing its around the world flight back to Seattle.[147][148][149]
November 9, 2005 (2005-11-09):ABoeing 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]
March 25, 2006 (2006-03-25):British Airways used a Boeing 777-200ER to fly the longest commercial non-stop flight with paying passengers, when chartered by UK Prime MinisterTony Blair and his entourage of staff and journalists to fly from meetings inBrussels, traveling non-stop to ensure their attendance at the closing ceremonies of the2006 Commonwealth Games inMelbourne.[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 (2021-03-28):AComluxBoeing 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 nearlyantipodal points ofSeoul–Incheon andBuenos 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]
October 7, 2021 (2021-10-07):AQantasBoeing 787-9, registered VH-ZNH, flew 15,020 km (9,333 mi; 8,110 nmi) fromBuenos Aires toDarwin. This was part of a series of repatriation flights that had taken place due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[161] Similarly, repatriation flights fromAdelaide toNew Delhi, 9,569 km (5,946 mi; 5,167 nmi), had also taken place due to the pandemic, making it one of the longest non-stop flights from Australia to India in the past.[162] These flights were also flown with Boeing 787-9 aircraft, operated byAir India with aircraft registration VT-ANY.
The longest-rangeAirbus jetliner in service is theAirbus A350-900ULR, which is capable of flying 18,000 kilometres (11,000 mi; 9,700 nmi) .[163][164] TheA380 is capable of flying 15,200 kilometres (9,400 mi; 8,200 nmi) with 544 passengers. The standardA350-900 can fly 15,000 kilometres (9,300 mi; 8,100 nmi) with 325 passengers.[165] Airbus is currently developing[166] a variant of theA350-1000 forQantas which will have the same range as theAirbus A350-900ULR at a distance of 18,000 kilometres (11,000 mi; 9,700 nmi).[167]
The longest-rangeBoeing airliner in service is the777-200LR, which can cover 17,395 kilometres (10,809 mi; 9,393 nmi) with 301 passengers.[168][169]Boeing also considered developing a777-200LR derivative forQantas. 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).[170] The announcedBoeing 777-8 will be capable of flying 16,170 kilometres (10,050 mi; 8,730 nmi) with 350 to 375 passengers.[171] TheBoeing 787-9 can fly 14,140 kilometres (8,790 mi; 7,630 nmi) with 290 passengers.[172]
The following table lists the world's longest non-stop scheduled passenger routes bygreat-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 andGatwick airports servingLondon, andHaneda andNarita servingTokyo).
An illustration of a San Francisco to Singapore "non-stop" flight (green) versus a "direct" flight (purple)
Adirect flight between an origin and final destination has an intermediate stop, with all segments having the same flight number and using the same aircraft.[224] 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.
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.
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 asshown above.
New and soon to be launched non-stop flights with distances exceeding 12,952 kilometres (8,048 mi; 6,994 nmi), placing them on thetop 30 list, have been announced:
OnAugust 25, 2017,Qantas announced "Project Sunrise" aiming to launch new ultra-long-haul non-stop "Kangaroo Routes" fromAustralia to major destinations includingLondon,New York, andParis.[350] On October 20, 2019, Qantas demonstrated the New York City toSydney flight using aBoeing 787-9.[351] 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 fromLondon–Heathrow toSydney 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).[352] In December 2019, Qantas announced they had selected anAirbus A350-1000 (with some potential modifications) for Project Sunrise if the flights proceed.[353] TheAirbus A350-1000 entered into service in February 2018 with a range of 16,100 kilometres (10,004 mi; 8,693 nmi)[354] and is capable of flying non-stop both Sydney – London and Sydney – New York City.[355][353]
In2018,Turkish Airlines announced it was planning anIstanbul – Sydney route, a great-circle distance of 14,967 km (9,300 mi; 8,082 nmi).[356] 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.[357] Ahead of nonstop flights, Turkish Airlines launched direct flights from Istanbul to Melbourne via Singapore in March 2024[358][359] and to Sydney via Kuala Lumpur as well in late November.[360]
InMay 2021,Vietnam Airlines receivedVietnam government approval[361] to use its A350-900 and 787-9 aircraft on multiple non-stop North American routes including the long routes ofHo Chi Minh City toNew York–JFK, a great-circle distance of 14,307 km (8,890 mi; 7,725 nmi) andHo Chi Minh City toDallas-Fort Worth, a great-circle distance of 14,557 km (9,045 mi; 7,860 nmi).[362][361] In November 2021, Vietnam Airlines launched the first of such transpacific flights flying between Ho Chi Minh City andSan Francisco.[363]
According to a report published inSeptember 2015,Miami International Airport (Florida) was in talks withEVA Air andChina Airlines ofTaiwan to launch before 2018 a non-stop 13,922 km (8,651 mi; 7,517 nmi) flight toTaipei.[364] In June 2016, a chartered China AirlinesBoeing 777-300ER carrying TaiwanPresidentTsai Ing-wen flew non-stop from Taipei to Miami before continuing toPanama. The airport director spoke with President Tsai about the opportunity for scheduled service between Miami and Taipei.[365] The airport has been actively pursuing a non-stop flight toEast Asia since 2015. There are no non-stop passenger flights between Florida, the third-most populous state in the U.S., and East Asia.[366][367] In May 2017, the region's aviation department director predicted such a flight would happen within the next 24 months.[368] In November 2020,Starlux Airlines applied for rights to operate this Taipei – Miami route along with 14 others.[369] In 2023, Starlux announced they intend to launch one new US destination per year to connect to the "Western, Midwest, and Eastern" US.[370]
InNovember 2019,El Al announced it was exploring a new non-stopTel Aviv –Melbourne route with 3 initial scheduled roundtrip "test" flights,[371] covering a great-circle distance of 13,736 km (8,535 mi; 7,417 nmi).[372] 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).[373] 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 traverseSaudi Arabian or Omani airspace. In July 2022, Saudi Arabia opened its airspace to all Israeli carriers for the first time[374] and in February 2023 Oman opened its airspace to all "qualified commercial carriers"[375] 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.[376][377]
InOctober 2024, Air India received approval from India'sDGCA 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.[378]
InSeptember 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).[379] 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.[357] 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'sComodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport on December 18.[380]
In August 2015, Emirates announced that non-stop flights between Dubai andPanama City, Panama would begin on 1 February 2016, covering 13,821 km (8,588 mi; 7,463 nmi)[381] 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".[382] 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 theChicago Bears1986 Super BowlChampionship team).[383][384] However, in March 2020, because of theCOVID-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.[385] 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.[386]
In October 2019, American Airlines announced flights fromLos Angeles toChristchurch to commence in October 2020. Flights were expected to take over 13 hours, being flown 3 times weekly. The flight would have come in on average around 11,080 km (6,880 mi; 5,980 nmi). However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the route has never been flown, andUnited Airlines has instead started flights fromSan Francisco to Christchurch, opening the door for American to join as direct competition.[387]
In February 2020,American Airlines announced flight AA180/181 betweenSeattle–Tacoma andBengaluru, covering a great-circle distance of 13,000 km (8,078 mi; 7,019 nmi).[388] Though originally planned for October 2020, the launch was delayed repeatedly amid theCOVID-19 pandemic and as of 2024 has not launched.[389][390][391][392]
^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.[176][177] 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.[181]
^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.
^abThe 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.
^This route was first launched on February 3, 2004 by Singapore Airlines using an A340-500, at which point it was the world's longest non-stop commercial flight.[194]
^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 theAirbus A380-800 from theBoeing 747-400ER. Previously, QF 8 required a stop inBrisbane, though the eastbound QF 7 from Sydney was always non-stop. The first flight of QF 7 was May 16, 2011.[199]
^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.[206] It ended on April 20, 2020 prior to relaunching 16 months later on August 1, 2021 operated by an A350-900.[207] 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 longestdaily 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.[221]
^This is a relaunch of the SIN-SEA route operated by Singapore Airlines from Sep 3, 2019 – Mar 22, 2020.
^This route has also been operated by the Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 777-300ER at various points in the past.
^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).[256] This route continues to be examined for future operation by El Al, seeEnvisioned services
^This was the longest flight ever operated by Delta Air Lines.[258]
^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.
^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.
^The Double Sunrise flight numbers were 1Q[*] (eastbound to Perth eastbound), and 2Q[*] (westbound to Koggala), the number after the Q was sequential and used for both directions once from 1Q1 and 2Q1 through to 1Q133[331]
^The return flight JL 1 had a refueling stop in San Francisco.
^Note this route was previously operated by American Airlines from June 11 2014 - Feb 15 2020[348][349]
^"KLM History: Route Khartoum - Mauritius - Batavia (1949)"(Streaming Video).Youtube (Documentary Video (with English Subtitles)) (in Dutch). Polygoon Hollands Nieuws (producent) / Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (beheerder). April 4, 1949. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2023.
^"SP Nonstops slated for South Pacific".digitalcollections.library.miami.edu. Vol. 2, no. 8. Pan Am. Pan Am Clipper. November 1976.Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. RetrievedJuly 7, 2021.
^Associated, Press (November 11, 2005)."A record nonstop flight".Deseret News.Archived from the original on November 11, 2021. RetrievedNovember 11, 2021.
^Museum, Qantas Founders (August 12, 2015)."QANTAS DOUBLE SUNRISE".Qantas Founders Museum.Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. RetrievedMay 18, 2021.
^IAD-NCE was chartered operation, CCS-CDG was one-off, IAD-CDG was shorter than this. The SIN-BAH-LHR flight was jointly operated by BA/SQ but the SIN-BAH segment was under SQ callsign
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New York–JFK
Singapore
Auckland
Doha
Perth
London–Heathrow
Paris–CDG
Dubai
Shenzhen
Mexico City–Benito Juárez
Bengaluru
Manila
Johannesburg
Jeddah
Rome–Fiumicino
Toronto
Hong Kong
Madrid
São Paulo–Guarulhos
Nouméa
Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Caracas
Havana Airport
Moscow–Vnukovo
Papeete
Frankfurt
Kuala Lumpur
Istanbul
Tokyo–Narita
Buenos Aires–Ezeiza
Bogotá
Santiago
Addis Ababa
Tel Aviv
Taipei
Denpasar
Lomé
Tampere
Dakar–Senghor
Bandar Seri Begawan
Reykjavik
Terceira
Dublin
Kuwait City
Amsterdam
Zurich
Oslo
Dar es Salaam
Seoul–Incheon
Entebbe
Koggala
Bahrain[332]
Lagos
Nairobi
Minsk
Astana
Larnaca
Malabo
