The World's Longest Flight Lasts Nearly 19 Hours

If you've ever made the journey between the Americas and Europe or Asia, you're likely familiar with some of the longest nonstop flights. These trans-oceanic routes across the Pacific and Atlantic can easily exceed 10 hours, but have you ever wondered what the longest flight in the world is?

To grasp how flight paths are measured by distance, it's useful to understand the concept of great circle distance. Simply put, a great circle distance is the shortest path between two points on the surface of a sphere, like Earth.

The flight routes mentioned in this article are based on the estimated great circle distance between two airports. However, actual commercial flights often diverge from this optimal route to avoid bad weather, other aircraft, or restricted airspace. As a result, the actual flight distance may be slightly longer than the theoretical distance on paper.

We've ranked the longest flights based on flight time, not distance. After all, when you're stuck in an economy seat, you're more likely to be counting the hours until you're off the plane rather than obsessing over the miles between you and your destination, wondering how the business class passengers are managing.

1. New York (JFK) to Singapore Changi (SIN)

This Singapore Airlines route connecting two global economic hubs is the longest available commercial flight. The great circle distance exceeds 9,500 miles (15,289 km), with a direct flight duration of approximately 18 hours and 40 minutes from takeoff to landing.

In addition to the Singapore Airlines flight from New York, there is also a similar route departing from Newark, New Jersey, to Changi. While nearly identical, this flight is just slightly shorter than the world’s longest.

2. San Francisco, California (SFO) to Bengaluru, India (BLR)

If San Francisco is considered the cultural epicenter of California, then Bengaluru can be viewed as the equivalent for southern India. With a population of over 8 million speakers of languages such as Kannada, Urdu, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil, Bengaluru's history stretches back nearly 1,500 years.

India Airways operates this flight along a 9,700-mile (15,610 km) route, traveling in a Boeing 777, with a planned duration of 17 hours and 55 minutes.

3. Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to Doha, Qatar (DOH)

New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, is surrounded by lush green landscapes and coastal beauty, which contrasts sharply with the arid desert terrain of Doha, Qatar’s capital. Qatar Airways operates this non-stop flight using an Airbus A350-900, covering 9,026 miles (14,526 km), with a travel time of approximately 17 and a half hours.

4. Perth, Australia (PER) to London Heathrow, England (LHR)

If you're looking to escape the scorching Australian summer and head to London Heathrow to catch a glimpse of Big Ben in the cold of winter, you’ll need to hop aboard a Qantas Airways Boeing 787-9, crossing a 9,010-mile (14,500-km) journey across Asia and Europe.

One of the longest nonstop flights globally, this journey has a flight time of 17 hours and 35 minutes.

5. Dallas Fort Worth, Texas (DFW) to Melbourne, Australia (MEL)

Australia, the world’s most isolated continent (excluding Antarctica), is home to many of the contenders for the longest flights, with planes often traveling to and from this vast landmass.

This commercial flight gives Melbourne residents the opportunity to check out the oil fields of Dallas and perhaps spot some men in ridiculously large hats. The journey takes 17 hours and 35 minutes, covering a distance of 8,990 miles (14,468 km).

6. Paris Charles De Gaulle, France (CDG) to Perth, Australia (PER)

If you've checked out Big Ben in Perth, why not change your destination to the Eiffel Tower? Qantas Airways operates direct flights from Perth to Paris using a Boeing 787-9. The flight spans a great circle distance of 8,863 miles (14,264 km), with a scheduled flight time of 17 hours and 25 minutes.

7. Houston, TX (IAH) to Sydney, Australia (SYD)

This is the only flight on the list operated exclusively by a U.S. airline — United Airlines. However, it appears the route has recently been discontinued (but here's hoping for a future return!).

When it was in service, this non-stop flight could take you to the scenic city of Sydney, Australia. The scheduled duration was 17 hours and 26 minutes, covering a distance of 8,895 miles (14,315 km).

8. Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to New York (JFK)

There are currently two direct flights from Auckland to New York City, one operated through a partnership between Qantas and American Airlines, and the other by United Airlines and Air New Zealand. Both routes share the same distance and flight time: 8,828 miles (14,207 km) with a duration of 16 hours and 15 minutes.

9. Shenzhen, China (SZX) to Mexico City (MEX)

Both Shenzhen and Mexico City are major economic and industrial centers in their respective countries, so it comes as no surprise that a direct flight route exists between these two cities.

This flight, operated by China Southern, takes you on an Airbus A350 across a distance of 8,776 miles (14,123 km), with an estimated flight time of approximately 16 hours.

10. From Los Angeles (LAX) to Singapore Changi (SIN)

This nonstop Singapore Airlines flight carries passengers from Los Angeles to Singapore, giving travelers the opportunity to explore the city's luxurious shopping centers and top-tier restaurants.

The flight on this route, aboard an Airbus A350-900, spans a great circle distance of 8,758 miles (14,095 km) with an estimated flight time of 15 hours and 55 minutes, as per Singapore Airlines.