Top 13+ Longest Flights In The World: From One End Of The Earth To The Other

In the old days, it tools months, if not years, to travel to another country. Now, it will only take a blink of an eye. With the development of transportation, even the farthest destination can be reached within an unbelievably short amount of time.

Don’t believe it yet? Let the list of the Top 15 longest flights in the world show you that anything is possible today!

1. New York to Singapore | 18 hours 50 minutes | Singapore Airlines
2. Newark to Singapore | 18 hours 30 minutes | Singapore Airlines
3. Perth to London | 17 hours 20 minutes | Qantas
4. Dallas to Melbourne | 17 hours 35 minutes | Qantas
5. New York to Auckland | 17 hours 35 minutes | Air New Zealand
6. Auckland to Dubai | 15 Hours and 45 Minutes | Emirates
7. Los Angeles to Singapore | 17 Hours, 10 Minutes | Singapore Airlines
8. San Francisco to Bengaluru | 17 Hours, 55 Minutes | Air India
9. Houston to Sydney | 17 Hours, 35 Minutes | United
10. Dallas to Sydney | 17 Hours, 20 Minutes | Qantas
11. New York to Manila |  17 Hours, 15 Minutes | Philippine Airlines
12. San Francisco to Singapore | 17 Hours, 35 Minutes | United & Singapore Airlines
13. Johannesburg to Atlanta | 16 hours, 20 minutes | Delta
14. Mumbai to San Francisco | 15 hours, 25 minutes | Air India
15. Dubai to Los Angeles | 16 hours, 20 minutes | Emirates.

The list is compiled based on great-circle distance travelled rather than duration, which varies depending on the weather, maintenance, staff, etc.

Key takeaways:

• The longest commercial flight travels from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) and takes over 18 hours.
• Singapore Airlines operates the two longest flights globally, with Qantas coming in next, operating the third and fourth longest flights.
• The shortest flight in this ranking has a duration of at least 15 hours.
• Qantas is gearing up to set a new record in 2025 with a 20-hour route connecting Sydney to London, spanning over 17,000 km.

1. New York to Singapore

• Flight number: SQ23
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900ULR
• Calculated distance: 15,349km
• Duration of flight: 18 hours 50 minutes

The title of the longest flight in the world belongs to the flight from New York to Singapore. Covers more than 15,000km, this flight takes about 19 hours to finish depending on the weather condition.

The fees for these flights vary from £1,000 to £1,500 per one-way ticket. To save time and money, you can book your tickets online. This flying route is operated by Singapore Airlines.

2. Newark to Singapore

• Flight number: SQ21
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900ULR
• Calculated distance: 15,345km
• Duration of flight: 18 hours 30 minutes

Another route ran by Singapore Airlines. Being the first flight route from Singapore to the New York area, this one used to serve mostly New Yorkers. However, it was once suspended due to travel restrictions and low demand. After the pandemic, they decided to re-open it.

Only 4km shorter than the above route, the flights from Newark to Singapore usually take around 18 hours 30 minutes to 18 hours 45 minutes. You can book the ticket at an estimated price of £1,600.

3. Perth to London

• Flight number: QF9
• Aircraft flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated distance: 14,498km
• Duration of flight: 17 hours 20 minutes

If you are looking for a non-stop flight from Australia to Europe, this is perfect! Operated by Qantas, the most popular airline in Australia, citizens of West Australia can now arrive at the capital of England in just over 17 hours. The flight will cost an estimated £1,500 and land at London Heathrow. Sadly, the only non-stop flight between Australia and the United Kingdom will cease to operate due to the latest development over Iranian airspace.

4. Dallas to Melbourne

• Flight number: QF22
• Aircraft flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated distance: 14,472km
• Duration of flight: 17 hours 35 minutes

Another long non-stop flight operated by Qantas. It is the route that connects Melbourne and Dallas. Cost around £1,500 for 17 hours and half an hour on the plane. This flight is only 30km shorter than the longest flight of this airline. 

5. New York to Auckland 

• Flight number: NZ1, UA6751
• Aircraft flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated distance: 14,207km
• Duration of flight: 17 hours 35 minutes

Travelling from New York to Auckland is now easier than ever. Air New Zealand offers this route. United Airlines also has flights on this route.

Both options take the same time to land. The flight with Air New Zealand costs around £1,260, while the one with United Airlines is a little more expensive, at £1,360.

Qantas is also planning to operate flights from New York to Auckland. The flights are expected to launch on June 14, 2023.

6. Auckland to Dubai

• Flight number: EK448
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A380
• Calculated distance: 14,200km
• Duration of flight: 15 Hours, 45 Minutes

Auckland can be considered an important intersection when another longest direct flight heads to this destination. Operated by Emirates, at first, the route included transit in Kua Lumpur. However, later, they decided to make it into a direct flight, with a total travel time of almost 16 hours. You can find the tickets for these flights at a price of £1,400.

7. Los Angeles to Singapore

• Flight number: SQ37
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900
• Calculated distance: 14,114km
• Duration of flight: 17 Hours, 10 Minutes

The ambition of Singapore Airlines has not been satisfied with the two longest direct flights in the world, so they made another one! The flights connecting LA and Singapore take a little more than 17 hours and mostly travel across the North Pacific. The prices for these flights vary from £1,000 to £1,800, depending on the time.

8. San Francisco to Bengaluru

• Flight number: AI176
• Aircraft flying: Boeing 777-200LR
• Calculated distance: 14,004km
• Duration of flight: 17 Hours, 55 Minutes

This is a direct flight route operated by Air India, which takes almost 18 hours to complete. 

It will only cost an estimated £399 for a one-way flight for one person. This will also be a wonderful choice if you are travelling with your pet because the airline is also famous as one of the best pet-friendly airlines in the world. 

Fun fact: The first flight of this route was actually piloted by an all-women crew!

9. Houston to Sydney 

• Flight number: UA101
• Aircraft flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated distance: 13,834km
• Duration of flight: 17 Hours, 45 Minutes

Though not as common as the flying route from Dallas to Melbourne, there are actually direct flights from Houston to Sydney.

Operated by United Airlines since 2020, the route was closed due to the pandemic but has recently opened again. It will take you less than 18 hours to travel between these two destinations. 

10. Dallas to Sydney

• Flight number: QF8
• Aircraft flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated distance: 13,804km
• Duration of flight: 16 Hours, 45 Minutes

Only 30km shorter than the route from Houston, the flight from Dallas to Sydney is much more common, with many flights to choose from in a week. 

Also operated by Qantas, the flights take less than 17 hours and cost around £1,300. It was once required to transit through Brisbane but now became a direct flight with full service available.

11. New York to Manila

• Flight number: PR127
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900
• Calculated distance: 13,711km
• Duration of flight: 17 hours

Given the development of New York, there is no surprise that this is the destination for many long direct flights in the world. But what most might need to learn is Manila is also a destination with many long direct flights.

The Philippines actually have up-to-date aviation technology. This route is operated by Philippine Airlines as proof of it. With 17 hours of travelling, passengers only need £1,100 to travel from New York to Manila and even less on the way back.

12. San Francisco to Singapore

• Flight numbers: SQ31, SQ33, UA1, UA29
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900 & Boeing 787-9
• Calculated distance: 13,593km
• Duration of flight: 16 hours, 40 minutes - 16 hours, 55 minutes

Once again, Singapore has made it to the top of the longest flights in the world. This route requires about 17 hours to get to its destination. It is operated by United Airlines and Singapore Airlines. The price for these flights starts from £750. However, the flights from Singapore Airlines are normally faster.

13. Johannesburg to Atlanta

• Flight numbers: DL201
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A350-900
• Calculated distance: 13,581km
• Duration of flight: 16 hours, 40 minutes

Flying through the South Atlantic Ocean, this route connects North America to Africa at their busiest airport after a 16-hour-and-a-half flight. The uncommon flying route is operated by Delta, one of the airlines with the biggest seats. The price of these flights starts from £750.

14. Mumbai to San Francisco

• Flight numbers: AI179
• Aircraft flying: Airbus Boeing 777-200LR
• Calculated distance: 13,521km
• Duration of flight: 16 hours

Air India opened this route in December 2022 to enhance this airline's global impact. With the price of around £1,000, there are three flights on this route every week. The route connects Chhatrapati Shivaji International and San Francisco International Airports.

15. Dubai to Los Angeles

• Flight numbers: EK215
• Aircraft flying: Airbus A380
• Calculated distance: 13,420km
• Duration of flight: 16 hours, 20 minutes

Connecting two vibrant cities of the USA and the UAE, this is an important transport route operated by the Emirates. You can easily find direct flights from Dubai to LA at a price of £757. 

Fun fact: Do you know about the shortest flight in the world? The flight between Westray and Papa Westray in the United Kingdom takes an astounding two minutes, and on clear days, even about 53 seconds!

How Do You Calculate The Longest Flight In The World?

There are various methods to describe how long a flight is. Some of the most popular are calculating the great-circle distance, flight time, and actual ground travelled.

However, the flight time is something changeable. Numerous factors, such as planned routings, weather, and traffic, can have an impact on a route's flight time. The type of aircraft used can also affect the scheduled durations for the same route and carrier.

In this article, we used the distance between the two destinations to decide the rank of the longest flights in the world.

How Do You Survive A 20-Hour Flight?

One of the outstanding strengths of direct flights is that they help you save the time and effort of running around with paperwork and changing planes. All you have to do is get on a plane, relax, and boom, there you are at your desired destination.

However, this also means that your body will have to face constant pressure and inconvenience while being in a narrow space like a plane. So what should you prepare beforehand?

First, we do not recommend you get on these flights if you are travelling with your babies. It is almost impossible for toddlers to stay still in their seats for such a long time without disturbances. And it’s best to prevent this from happening on a plane with everyone being tired after long hours.

Secondly, plan your schedule ahead. You will likely sleep on your long flight. However, if you sleep too much, your biological clock may keep you awake unwantedly when you arrive at your destination. Think of what you will do after check-in at your hotel. What time will it be? Should you get some sleep or go out to explore?

Thirdly, prepare yourself some amenities in your carry-on luggage. Being on a long flight can make you feel hungry, dry your skin, or even hurt your back. It is best to keep some of your snacks, compression socks, lotion, etc., in your bag if you need them on the plane.

To do this, you should actually get a hip bag instead of a normal fashion purse. They are more flexible for adjusting its strap and can pack your stuff neatly all at once. This allows you to bring as many things as you need and change the position of the pack to decrease the pressure of it on your body.

Lastly, you should dress comfortably. The long hours in a narrow space, despite how convenient it might be, can make your body itch and tired. Wearing comfortable clothes can lessen the pressure on your muscles and can even allow you to stretch a little bit on the plane.

FAQs

How To Kill Time When You Are On A Long-haul Flight?

Being on long direct flights means you have plenty of time for yourself. And though talking with your friends, family, or even strangers might help you chase away the boredom, keeping it up for the whole 16 hours or more doesn’t sound appealing.

So prepare some activities to entertain yourself! Here are some suggestions to help you out

• Get some sleep: Of course, the best way to kill time and preserve your excitement for the upcoming trip is to sleep. Although we did mention before that you should take your plan for the day into account, a quick nap to avoid travel-sick or relax your muscles will cause no harm.

• Watch movie/film series: Watching movies has never grown old as a way of entertainment. However, we would recommend film series rather than a long list of movies. The reason is that they can keep you interested for a long time with their plots. But, eventually, it’s your choice. So choose what you feel is best for yourself.

• Reading books: Another efficient way to distract yourself from boredom is to read. Bring a book of your interest along. Just make sure that you can keep on reading it for hours because you won’t be able to bring a whole series with you. Though if you usually get travel-sick, this activity might not be suitable.

Can A Plane Fly For 24 Hours?

Technically, the answer is yes. More and more technologies are being developed to strengthen the engine of aircraft, allowing them to fly for a long time without weakening.

However, most commercial aircraft that are used for travelling can not fly non-stop for that long without refuelling. Plus, it may take a heavy toll on our human body.

What Is The World's Longest Flight By Time?

The world's longest flight took 64 days, 22 hours and 19 minutes to complete. In 1959, Robert Timm and John Cook flew in the skies of Las Vegas for almost two months.

What's The World's Longest Nonstop Flight?

At the moment, the world’s longest nonstop flight is the route between New York and Singapore. With a calculated distance of 15,349km and almost 19 hours of flying, the route operated by Singapore Airlines is the longest in the world.

Journey Across Continents: Embrace the Wonder of the World's Longest Flight

That’s the list of the top 15 longest flights in the world. With the incredible development of technology, the impossible has become easier and within grasp.

Despite still having weaknesses regarding the comfortable for passengers, these flights have truly maximised the miracle of transportation and created the opportunity to travel to its fullest.

Claire Thuc