For over a century, people have dreamed of soaring through the skies, and today, airplanes take us farther than ever before. Some of the world’s longest flights push the limits of endurance for both passengers
and crew. A recent social media post revealed jaw-dropping facts about these ultra-long journeys. Imagine crossing an entire ocean, with pilots switching shifts midair and passengers spending more than 17 hours non-stop in the sky.
One flight stretches over 14,500 kilometres, connecting Perth to London without a single stop. Another takes nearly 18 hours from Auckland to Doha, while the crown jewel of patience is the Singapore to New York route, which has no economy seats at all and takes longer than you would expect.
Top 5 Longest Flights In The World
Singapore To New York
Singapore Airlines operates its longest flight, SQ23, using an Airbus A350-900ULR. This flight has been the world’s longest commercial route since November 2020. It travels a huge distance of 15,349 kilometres and takes almost 19 hours from start to finish. The journey begins late at night, leaving New York’s JFK airport at 10:30 PM and landing in Singapore early in the morning at 5:20 AM.
Auckland To Doha
Qatar Airways uses an Airbus A350-1000 to fly passengers from Auckland to Doha, covering a huge distance of 14,600 kilometres. The journey takes close to 18 hours, which is a real test of patience. Interestingly, this route was once the longest commercial flight in the world.
Perth To London
The third-longest flight in the world is also run by Qantas and connects Perth to London. This non-stop journey covers nearly 14,500 kilometres and takes about 17 hours and 45 minutes to cover the distance. It is also the longest route flown by the Boeing 787 and has been in service since March 2018. The flight leaves Australia at 6:45 PM and reaches the UK early in the morning at around 5 AM, which makes it one of the first arriving flights of the day.
Dallas To Melbourne
Qantas Airlines operates a non-stop flight between Dallas and Melbourne that covers close to 14,000 kilometres and takes around 17.5 hours to complete. Reportedly, the flight departs from the US at around 8 PM and arrives in the Australian city at 5:25 AM. The outbound flight from Melbourne currently has a similar average flight time.
Auckland To New York
FlightRadar data shows that Air New Zealand operates an ultra-long non-stop flight between Auckland and New York. The journey covers nearly 13,500 kilometres and lasts for over 16 hours, departing New York at 9:55 pm and crossing the Pacific Ocean. Qantas also runs a direct service on the same route, leaving New York earlier in the evening at 7:30 pm and arriving in Auckland early the next morning at around 5:00 am.
While these are among the world’s longest flights, there is also an extreme on the other side. The world’s shortest commercial flight runs between Westray and Papa Westray in Scotland and covers a distance of just 1.7 miles.
