What Is The Longest Flight In The World?

Traveling to faraway destinations is easier than ever with the modern non-stop longest flight in the world. Numerous of the world’s longest flights allow passengers to travel long distances without interruptions and switching plans.

This comprehensive guide details the world's top 8 longest nonstop flights to give passengers an idea about the longest routes available from different countries. However, Spending 18 hours on the longest nonstop flight in the world may be a frustrating experience. On the other hand, it can be a gratifying adventure for those with an enthusiastic mindset.

This blog will thoroughly discuss eight of the world's longest flights by duration, covering routes and the planes that fly them. You will also learn how to use points and miles to travel on the longest nonstop flight in the world comfortably.

What Is The “World's Longest Flight” Concept?

Responding, “What is the longest flight in the world?” is a bit more complex than, as a frequent passenger, you might think. The world's longest flight are often ranked by something called “the great circle distance.” it represents the shortest distance between the two points along the circumference of a sphere.

It is important to note that the great circle distance can’t equal the distance a flight travels. Usually, flight plans routinely switch depending on weather conditions like severe wind or other factors. Hence, a plane may easily exceed the great circle distance on a given flight.

This comprehensive guide lets passengers understand the longest flight by not relying on scheduled flight times. This guide presents historical flight data to access which flight lasts as the longest flight in the world.

A Quick Overview Of The Longest Nonstop Flight In The World

A Closer Look On The Longest Flight In The World

After analyzing the table above's overview of the world's longest flights, let’s examine each route in detail, including recommendations for passengers using travel rewards credit cards to book a flight on points.

1 - Newark (EWR) to Singapore (SIN): Singapore Airlines Flight 21

Flight SQ 21 is serviced by one of Singapore Airlines’ ultra-long-range A350-900 aircraft. It stood first in the list of the world's longest flight. On this flight, passengers usually won’t find regular economy seats onboard. Because of the long journey, the airline only offers business class and premium economy seating facilities.

• Flight Distance - Great Circle is 9,534 miles, and the average flight distance is 10,644 miles.
• Flight Time - Scheduled 18:50, average flight duration 18:18.
• Frequency - Daily
• Flight Path - Flying northeast from Newark, SQ 21 follows the coast to Newfoundland, then crosses the Atlantic to Europe, passing the Alps, Black Sea, Middle East, southern India, and the Bay of Bengal.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book one-way saver awards for 80,500 miles in premium economy and 111,500 miles in business class via Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Singapore Airlines also partners with AmEx, Capital One, Chase, and Citi transferable currency programs.

2 -  San Francisco (SFO) to Bengaluru (BLR): Air India Flight 176

As the second longest nonstop flight in the world, Air India Flight 176 covers San Francisco to Bengaluru.

• Flight Distance - The Great Circle is 8,701 miles, with an average travel distance of 9,737.
• Flight Time - Scheduled 17:50, and average flight time is 17:51.
• Frequency - Three times a week.
• Flight Path - AI 176 flies north from San Francisco, crossing Canada, Greenland, the Arctic Circle, Scandinavia, Russia, and Central Asia, and heading south to India.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book one-way awards through Air Canada Aeroplan using 70,000 points in economy class, 110,000 in business class, and 140,000 in first class, covering taxes. Air Canada partners with AmEx, Bilt, Capital One, and Chase for point transfers to accumulate Aeroplan points.

3 -  New York-JFK to Singapore (SIN): Singapore Airlines Flight 23

As the number three longest nonstop flight in the world, this aviation number is SQ 23. Like the SQ 21 flight mentioned above, Singapore Airlines only provides business class and premium economy seats on this flight.

• Flight Distance - Total travel distance: 10,590 miles; Great circle distance: 9,537 miles.
• Flight Time - Scheduled 18:35, and the average flight time 17:50.
• Frequency - Daily
• Flight Path - SQ 23, like SQ 21, covers Europe, the Middle East, and India.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book one-way saver awards through Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer using 80,500 miles for premium economy and 111,500 miles for business class, covering taxes. Additionally, Singapore Airlines allies with rewards programs like AmEx, Capital One, Chase, and Citi.

4 - Perth (PER) to London-Heathrow: Qantas Flight 9

As the fourth longest flight in the world, Qantas Flight 9, dubbed QF 9, devours over half of its flight length over the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

• Flight Distance - Distance of Great Circle: 9,009 miles; average travel distance: 9,171 miles.
• Flight Time - Scheduled 17:45, and the average flight time is 17:43.
• Frequency - Daily
• Flight Path - QF 9 flies west from Perth over the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Middle East, and Europe to London.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book one-way awards via the American Airlines AAdvantage program for 60,000 miles in economy, 70,000 in premium economy, and 85,000 in business class, with taxes and fees included.

5 - Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Melbourne (MEL): Qantas Flight 22

Qantas Flight 22 stands on the number five world's longest flight. Additionally, at a latitude of 37.8136° S, Melbourne is the most southerly of all the cities on this list.

• Flight Distance - The Great Circle spans 8,992 miles with an average travel distance of 9,249.
• Flight Time - The flight is scheduled for 17:50, with an average flight time of 17:34.
• Frequency - Three times a week.
• Flight Path - QF 22 departs Dallas westbound, passing over the U.S. and Mexico into the Pacific Ocean for most of the journey.

6 - Los Angeles (LAX) to Singapore (SIN): Singapore Airlines Flights 35 and 37

As the sixth longest nonstop flight in the world, two Singapore Airlines flights, 35 and 37, fly the same route from Los Angeles to Singapore.

• Flight Distance - Total trip distance averages 9,148 miles, with a great-circle distance of 8,770.
• Flight Time - The flight was scheduled at 17:40 with an average duration of 17:28.
• Frequency - SQ 37 flies daily, while SQ 35 flies thrice weekly.
• Flight Paths - Flights from Los Angeles may go west over the Pacific or northwest past the Aleutian Islands and Japan before reaching Singapore or the South China Sea.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book one-way saver awards through the Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program for 75,000 miles in premium economy or 107,000 miles in business class, including mandatory taxes and fees.

7 - New York-JFK to Auckland (AKL): Air New Zealand Flight 1

As the seventh world's longest flight, NZ 1 may seem the lengthiest due to significant time changes affecting your body clock.

• Flight Distance - Great circle 8,828 miles, with an average flight distance of 9,109.
• Flight Time - The flight is scheduled for 18:00, with an average duration of 17:26.
• Frequency - Three times a week.
• Flight Path - NZ 1 flies west/southwest from New York, crossing the U.S. and sometimes Mexico before reaching the Pacific Ocean.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book round-trip low-season awards via the ANA Mileage Club program as Star Alliance members. Award prices range from 60,000 miles in economy, 88,000 in premium economy, and 105,000 in business class, including taxes and fees. Rates for regular and high seasons are slightly higher by 10-25%.

8 - Houston (IAH) to Sydney (SYD): United Airlines Flight 101

It is to be noted that the US airlines rank first (United Airlines), second (American Airlines), and fourth (Delta Airlines) globally in total destinations served. UA 101 (United Airlines Flight 101) is the longest operated by a US carrier.

• Flight Distance - Great Circle travels 8.596 miles, an average distance of 8,895.
• Flight Time - Scheduled at 17:30 with an average duration of 17:22.
• Frequency - Daily
• Flight Path - UA 101 flies west from Houston over the Southwest, often crossing northern Mexico before heading over the Pacific.
• Best Award Redemption Options - Passengers can book one-way awards through United Airlines MileagePlus for 37,500 miles in economy, 70,000 in premium economy, and 100,000 in business class, covering taxes and fees.

The Upcoming Longest Flight In The World

The list of the world's longest flights doesn’t end here. In 2025, the next flight will likely break the record as the longest flight in the world. Qantas plans to operate flights from New York to Sydney utilizing a specially designed Airbus A350. The airline has included a ‘wellness’ space and ways to help travelers tackle jet lag because the 16,020km flight will last more than 20 hours.

Conclusion

The competition for the longest flight in the world will never end. We hope this guide (with the top longest nonstop flight in the world) has helped you identify and answer the question, “What is the longest flight in the world?” However, the list is changing as more airlines plan to operate flights lasting over 20 hours.