Updated September 5, 2026. Ranked by great-circle distance, own-metal nonstops only, with aircraft, block times and frequencies from airline schedule data for the week of September 14, 2026. Routes marked seasonal were checked against December 2026 and February 2027.
The longest flight in the world is Singapore Airlines SQ23/24 between New York-JFK and Singapore, a 9,532 mile (15,341 kilometer) nonstop on the Airbus A350-900ULR scheduled at 19 hours 15 minutes westbound. Thirty-one nonstop flights currently cover more than 8,000 miles, and they are all listed below with airline, aircraft, distance, block time and weekly frequency.
It’s time to revise the list of the world’s longest flights by distance, or as some say, the longest flight route in the world, or the longest air routes in the world. We all say things differently around the world.
I’ve been fortunate to take many long flights in my time on this planet. Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment, but on long flights, I get to think and plan a lot. Plus, I love people watching, and it’s interesting how each of us handles these flights differently.
The airlines are constantly trying to one-up each other, and since we now have the airplanes to do it, they’re doing it.
Qantas is actually planning a flight from Sydney to London (October 2027) and Sydney to New York, a part of their Project Sunrise initiative. Having flown so many ultra long flights, I think this is really crazy! The all new A350-1000ULR which is currently being tested will fly these routes. Tickets go on sale in February 2027.
What Is The Longest Flight In The World?
Singapore Airlines’ A350-900ULR between New York-JFK (JFK) and Singapore (SIN) is the longest flight in the world at 9,532 miles, two miles more than the Newark (EWR) to Singapore flight on the same aircraft. In January 2020, I was able to take the Newark flight in a two-cabin configuration, Business Class and Economy Class; Premium Economy Class I guess. I was able to use my five year saved miles to take the trip.
Check out the video of the Premium cabin on this flight
What Is The Longest Flight In The World By Time?
This accolade also goes to the New York-JFK to Singapore flight on Singapore Airlines. SQ23 is scheduled at 19 hours 15 minutes from JFK to Singapore in the September schedule, and the Newark flight, SQ21, is five minutes behind it at 19 hours 10 minutes. Both are longer than they were the last time I updated this post, when the schedule showed 18:50 and 18:30.
I’ve not take this flight just yet, but I’ve taken the one from Newark, here’s a video of the takeoff. You can see JFK in the distance :-).
I also wrote a piece about the 16 world’s longest flights on Cruisinaltitude.com so you can take a look there, for reference as to how far we’ve come once more. But here I wanted to tell you where to find the top five.
The Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787 are at the forefront of the aircraft being used since the Airbus A380s and the Boeing 747-400s are no longer flying for most airlines. Of the 31 flights below, 23 are flown entirely on an A350 or a 787, and Cathay Pacific mixes both with a 777-300ER on a 24th. Emirates and Qantas still put the A380 on four of them, and the Boeing 777-200LR, the airplane that was built for this kind of flying, shows up on three.
What Does This Mean For Non-Revs?
Three things stand out from the data. First, the pair with the most frequency on this list is Singapore to San Francisco, with four daily nonstops across Singapore Airlines and United, 28 departures a week in each direction. Second, six of the 31 flights are seasonal, so a route you see listed in January may not be there in September; check the schedule for your actual date. Third, the Singapore Airlines ULR flights are still two cabins, Business Class and Premium Economy Class, with no Economy Class on board.
Weight restrictions come up on long flights, and I wrote about what that means for standbys in I’m Sorry, The Flight Has A Weight Restriction, You’ve Been Bumped. Before you list, check loads on the Passrider.com flight loads pages for United, Delta and American.
The 31 Longest Nonstop Flights At A Glance
| # | Route | Airline | Miles | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SIN-JFK | SQ | 9,532 | Daily | |
| 2 | SIN-EWR | SQ | 9,530 | Daily | |
| 3 | PER-LHR | QF | 9,015 | Daily | |
| 4 | DFW-MEL | QF | 8,995 | Three Times Weekly | |
| 5 | PER-CDG | QF | 8,869 | Three Times Weekly | Seasonal |
| 6 | AKL-JFK | QF/NZ | 8,833 | Daily on Qantas, Three Times Weekly on Air New Zealand | |
| 7 | AKL-DXB | EK | 8,824 | Daily | |
| 8 | SZX-MEX | CZ | 8,780 | Three Times Weekly | |
| 9 | SIN-LAX | SQ | 8,762 | Daily on SQ37/38, Three Times Weekly on SQ35/36 | |
| 10 | IAH-SYD | UA | 8,597 | Daily | Seasonal |
| 11 | DFW-SYD | QF | 8,580 | Daily | |
| 12 | MNL-JFK | PR | 8,510 | Three Times Weekly | |
| 13 | JNB-ATL | DL | 8,440 | Daily | |
| 14 | SIN-SFO | SQ/UA | 8,439 | Daily on all four flights | |
| 15 | DXB-LAX | EK | 8,327 | Daily | |
| 16 | DFW-BNE | AA | 8,305 | Daily | Seasonal |
| 17 | PER-FCO | QF | 8,303 | Daily | |
| 18 | DOH-LAX | QR | 8,294 | Four Times Weekly | |
| 19 | DOH-BOG | QR | 8,254 | Twice Weekly | Seasonal |
| 20 | MNL-YYZ | PR | 8,210 | Three Times Weekly | |
| 21 | DXB-IAH | EK | 8,155 | Daily | |
| 22 | ATL-CPT | DL | 8,134 | Three Times Weekly | |
| 23 | MNL-ORD | PR | 8,121 | Three Times Weekly | Seasonal |
| 24 | DFW-HKG | CX | 8,111 | Daily | |
| 25 | DXB-SFO | EK | 8,090 | Daily | |
| 26 | ADL-SFO | UA | 8,076 | Three Times Weekly | Seasonal |
| 27 | DOH-SFO | QR | 8,075 | Four Times Weekly | |
| 28 | SIN-SEA | SQ | 8,065 | Five Times Weekly | |
| 29 | HKG-JFK | CX | 8,060 | Up to Three Times Daily | |
| 30 | DOH-IAH | QR | 8,037 | Daily | |
| 31 | DFW-DXB | EK | 8,028 | Daily |
The World’s Longest Flights By Distance, In Order
Here are the 31 longest nonstop flights currently flying in the world, every one of them over 8,000 miles…
1. Singapore (SIN) to New York-JFK, NY USA (JFK) [SQ23/24]
This is the longest nonstop flight in the world, by distance and by scheduled time.
- Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900ULR (359)
- Distance: 9,532 miles/15,341 kilometers
- Duration: 19:15 [JFK to SIN] and 18:40 [SIN to JFK]
- Frequency: Daily
2. Singapore (SIN) to Newark-Liberty, NJ USA (EWR) [SQ21/22]
- Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900ULR (359)
- Distance: 9,530 miles/15,337 kilometers
- Duration: 19:10 [EWR to SIN] and 18:25 [SIN to EWR]
- Frequency: Daily
3. Perth, Australia (PER) to London-Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR) [QF9/10]
The London to Perth leg (QF10) shows as nonstop every day in the September schedule. The Perth to London leg (QF9) shows as nonstop in the February 2027 schedule but not in the September or December weeks I checked, so confirm the routing for your dates before you list for it.
- Airline: Qantas (QF)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 9,015 miles/14,508 kilometers
- Duration: 17:50 [PER to LHR] and 16:50 [LHR to PER]
- Frequency: Daily
You can see the 787-9 taxiing in London-Heathrow.
4. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX USA (DFW) to Melbourne, Australia (MEL) [QF21/22]
- Airline: Qantas (QF)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 8,995 miles/14,475 kilometers
- Duration: 17:40 [DFW to MEL] and 16:10 [MEL to DFW]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly
5. Perth, Australia (PER) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle, France (CDG) [QF33/34]
Not in the September schedule. It shows three times weekly in the December 2026 and February 2027 weeks I checked.
- Airline: Qantas (QF)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 8,869 miles/14,273 kilometers
- Duration: 17:30 [PER to CDG] and 16:40 [CDG to PER]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly [Seasonal]
6. Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to New York-JFK, NY USA (JFK) [QF3/4 and NZ1/2]
Two airlines fly this one on their own metal, so you have two sets of loads to check.
- Airline: Qantas and Air New Zealand (QF/NZ)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789) on both airlines
- Distance: 8,833 miles/14,215 kilometers
- Duration: 15:55 [AKL to JFK on QF3] and 16:10 [AKL to JFK on NZ2] and 17:35 [JFK to AKL on QF4] and 17:50 [JFK to AKL on NZ1]
- Frequency: Daily on Qantas, Three Times Weekly on Air New Zealand
7. Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) to Dubai, UAE (DXB) [EK448/449]
The only A380 in the top ten.
- Airline: Emirates (EK)
- Aircraft: Airbus A380-800 (388)
- Distance: 8,824 miles/14,201 kilometers
- Duration: 17:05 [AKL to DXB] and 15:50 [DXB to AKL]
- Frequency: Daily
8. Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China (SZX) to Mexico City, Mexico (MEX) [CZ8031]
The Shenzhen to Mexico City leg is the nonstop. The return does not show as a nonstop in the schedule data; China Southern’s schedule shows a Shenzhen to Tijuana pair instead, so the way back to China runs through Tijuana (TIJ).
- Airline: China Southern (CZ)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (359)
- Distance: 8,780 miles/14,130 kilometers
- Duration: 16:15 [SZX to MEX]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly
9. Singapore (SIN) to Los Angeles, CA USA (LAX) [SQ35/36 and SQ37/38]
Two flights on the same pair, so up to ten departures a week.
- Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (359)
- Distance: 8,762 miles/14,102 kilometers
- Duration: 17:10 [LAX to SIN on SQ37] and 17:00 [LAX to SIN on SQ35] and 16:05 [SIN to LAX on SQ38] and 16:00 [SIN to LAX on SQ36]
- Frequency: Daily on SQ37/38, Three Times Weekly on SQ35/36
10. Houston-Intercontinental, TX USA (IAH) to Sydney, Australia (SYD) [UA101/100]
Not in the September schedule. It shows daily from Houston in the December 2026 and February 2027 weeks I checked, with the Sydney to Houston leg at seven a week across two flight patterns.
- Airline: United Airlines (UA)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 8,597 miles/13,836 kilometers
- Duration: 17:35 [IAH to SYD] and 15:40 [SYD to IAH]
- Frequency: Daily [Seasonal]
11. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX USA (DFW) to Sydney, Australia (SYD) [QF7/8]
- Airline: Qantas (QF)
- Aircraft: Airbus A380-800 (388)
- Distance: 8,580 miles/13,808 kilometers
- Duration: 17:00 [DFW to SYD] and 15:30 [SYD to DFW]
- Frequency: Daily
I’ve flown this flight and really enjoyed it. It’s long….
12. Manila, Philippines (MNL) to New York-JFK, NY USA (JFK) [PR126/127]
- Airline: Philippine Airlines (PR)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (350)
- Distance: 8,510 miles/13,696 kilometers
- Duration: 16:10 [MNL to JFK] and 16:45 [JFK to MNL]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly
13. Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) to Atlanta, GA USA (ATL) [DL200/201]
- Airline: Delta Air Lines (DL)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (359)
- Distance: 8,440 miles/13,582 kilometers
- Duration: 16:12 [JNB to ATL] and 15:30 [ATL to JNB]
- Frequency: Daily
14. Singapore (SIN) to San Francisco, CA USA (SFO) [SQ31/32, SQ33/34, UA1/2 and UA28/29]
Four daily nonstops between two airlines on one city pair. That is 28 departures a week each way, the most frequency of any pair on this list.
- Airline: Singapore Airlines and United Airlines (SQ/UA)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (359) on Singapore Airlines, Boeing 787-9 (789) on United
- Distance: 8,439 miles/13,582 kilometers
- Duration: 16:25 [SFO to SIN on SQ31], 16:05 [SFO to SIN on SQ33], 16:35 [SFO to SIN on UA1] and 16:55 [SFO to SIN on UA29] and 15:45 [SIN to SFO on SQ32], 15:40 [SIN to SFO on SQ34] and 15:30 [SIN to SFO on UA2 and UA28]
- Frequency: Daily on all four flights
15. Dubai, UAE (DXB) to Los Angeles, CA USA (LAX) [EK215/216]
- Airline: Emirates (EK)
- Aircraft: Airbus A380-800 (388)
- Distance: 8,327 miles/13,400 kilometers
- Duration: 17:05 [DXB to LAX] and 16:15 [LAX to DXB]
- Frequency: Daily
16. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX USA (DFW) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE) [AA7/8]
Not in the September schedule. It shows daily in the December 2026 and February 2027 weeks I checked.
- Airline: American Airlines (AA)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 8,305 miles/13,365 kilometers
- Duration: 16:40 [DFW to BNE] and 15:25 [BNE to DFW]
- Frequency: Daily [Seasonal]
17. Perth, Australia (PER) to Rome-Fiumicino, Italy (FCO) [QF5/6]
Shows daily in the September schedule.
- Airline: Qantas (QF)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 8,303 miles/13,363 kilometers
- Duration: 16:40 [PER to FCO] and 16:10 [FCO to PER]
- Frequency: Daily
18. Doha, Qatar (DOH) to Los Angeles, CA USA (LAX) [QR739/740]
- Airline: Qatar Airways (QR)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 (351)
- Distance: 8,294 miles/13,348 kilometers
- Duration: 16:30 [DOH to LAX] and 16:10 [LAX to DOH]
- Frequency: Four Times Weekly
19. Doha, Qatar (DOH) to Bogota, Colombia (BOG) [QR783]
New to the list. Not in the September schedule; it shows twice weekly from Doha in the December 2026 and February 2027 weeks I checked. The Bogota to Doha leg does not show as a nonstop in the schedule data, so plan on a stop on the way back.
- Airline: Qatar Airways (QR)
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR (77L)
- Distance: 8,254 miles/13,283 kilometers
- Duration: 17:00 [DOH to BOG]
- Frequency: Twice Weekly [Seasonal]
20. Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Toronto-Pearson, Canada (YYZ) [PR118/119]
New to the list.
- Airline: Philippine Airlines (PR)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (350)
- Distance: 8,210 miles/13,213 kilometers
- Duration: 15:40 [MNL to YYZ] and 16:25 [YYZ to MNL]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly
21. Dubai, UAE (DXB) to Houston-Intercontinental, TX USA (IAH) [EK211/212]
New to the list, and one of three Houston flights on the list.
- Airline: Emirates (EK)
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR (77L)
- Distance: 8,155 miles/13,125 kilometers
- Duration: 16:35 [DXB to IAH] and 15:10 [IAH to DXB]
- Frequency: Daily
22. Atlanta, GA USA (ATL) to Cape Town, South Africa (CPT) [DL210/211]
New to the list.
- Airline: Delta Air Lines (DL)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (359)
- Distance: 8,134 miles/13,090 kilometers
- Duration: 14:50 [ATL to CPT] and 15:55 [CPT to ATL]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly
23. Manila, Philippines (MNL) to Chicago-O’Hare, IL USA (ORD) [PR132/133]
New to the list. Not in the September schedule; it shows three times weekly in the December 2026 and February 2027 weeks I checked.
- Airline: Philippine Airlines (PR)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (350)
- Distance: 8,121 miles/13,070 kilometers
- Duration: 14:15 [MNL to ORD] and 16:40 [ORD to MNL]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly [Seasonal]
24. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX USA (DFW) to Hong Kong (HKG) [CX875/876]
New to the list.
- Airline: Cathay Pacific (CX)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 (351)
- Distance: 8,111 miles/13,053 kilometers
- Duration: 17:15 [DFW to HKG] and 14:45 [HKG to DFW]
- Frequency: Daily
25. Dubai, UAE (DXB) to San Francisco, CA USA (SFO) [EK225/226]
- Airline: Emirates (EK)
- Aircraft: Airbus A380-800 (388)
- Distance: 8,090 miles/13,020 kilometers
- Duration: 16:45 [DXB to SFO] and 16:00 [SFO to DXB]
- Frequency: Daily
26. Adelaide, Australia (ADL) to San Francisco, CA USA (SFO) [UA207/208]
New to the list. Not in the September or December schedules; it shows three times weekly in the February 2027 week I checked.
- Airline: United Airlines (UA)
- Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 (789)
- Distance: 8,076 miles/12,998 kilometers
- Duration: 16:20 [SFO to ADL] and 14:55 [ADL to SFO]
- Frequency: Three Times Weekly [Seasonal]
27. Doha, Qatar (DOH) to San Francisco, CA USA (SFO) [QR737/738]
New to the list.
- Airline: Qatar Airways (QR)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 (351)
- Distance: 8,075 miles/12,995 kilometers
- Duration: 15:40 [DOH to SFO] and 15:30 [SFO to DOH]
- Frequency: Four Times Weekly
28. Singapore (SIN) to Seattle-Tacoma, WA USA (SEA) [SQ27/28]
New to the list.
- Airline: Singapore Airlines (SQ)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-900 (359)
- Distance: 8,065 miles/12,979 kilometers
- Duration: 16:20 [SEA to SIN] and 14:45 [SIN to SEA]
- Frequency: Five Times Weekly
29. Hong Kong (HKG) to New York-JFK, NY USA (JFK) [CX830/831, CX840/841 and CX844/843]
New to the list. Cathay Pacific runs three flight numbers on this pair, with 20 departures a week from Hong Kong in the September schedule.
- Airline: Cathay Pacific (CX)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 (351), Airbus A350-900 (359) and Boeing 777-300ER (77W)
- Distance: 8,060 miles/12,971 kilometers
- Duration: 15:35 to 16:05 [HKG to JFK] and 15:35 to 16:10 [JFK to HKG]
- Frequency: Up to Three Times Daily
30. Doha, Qatar (DOH) to Houston-Intercontinental, TX USA (IAH) [QR713/714]
New to the list.
- Airline: Qatar Airways (QR)
- Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000 (351)
- Distance: 8,037 miles/12,934 kilometers
- Duration: 15:55 [DOH to IAH] and 14:55 [IAH to DOH]
- Frequency: Daily
Here’s their A350-1000 arriving in Houston. Next stop Doha.
31. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX USA (DFW) to Dubai, UAE (DXB) [EK221/222]
New to the list, and the last one over 8,000 miles.
- Airline: Emirates (EK)
- Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR (77L)
- Distance: 8,028 miles/12,919 kilometers
- Duration: 16:15 [DXB to DFW] and 15:00 [DFW to DXB]
- Frequency: Daily
Have you taken any of these flights? Or any other long flights for that matter. Any tips for sustaining these flights? Leave a comment below and share with your fellow passriders.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is “longest flight” defined here?
By great-circle distance between origin and destination airports. Block times vary due to winds, routings, and operational factors, so distance is the consistent metric.
Which flight is the longest in the world by time?
Singapore Airlines SQ23 from New York-JFK to Singapore, scheduled at 19 hours 15 minutes in the September 2026 schedule. The Newark to Singapore flight, SQ21, is scheduled at 19 hours 10 minutes.
Why does flight time differ by direction on the same route?
Jet streams and prevailing winds can add or subtract hours, especially on polar and trans-Pacific/Atlantic routes. Dallas to Sydney is a good example on this list: 17 hours going and 15 hours 30 minutes coming back.
Which aircraft typically operate ultra long-haul routes?
Fuel-efficient, long-range types like the Airbus A350 family and Boeing 787 family dominate due to range, lower fuel burn, and passenger comfort features. Twenty-three of the 31 flights on this list are flown entirely on an A350 or a 787.
Do these rankings change often?
They can and do change. Airlines add, suspend, or retime routes based on demand, aircraft availability, overflight permissions, and fuel economics. Six of the 31 flights here are seasonal.
Any tips for surviving ultra long-haul flights?
Hydrate, walk and stretch regularly, sync sleep to destination time, use noise-canceling headphones, and pack light layers and healthy snacks.
Comments 2
I was able to take Singapore Airline’s A350-900ULR from Newark (EWR) to Singapore (SIN) back in Sept 2019 and was in Premium Economy. I think I paid a extra $100 and got a single widow seat . Rows 40, 41 and 42 are single seats and are worth the upgrade. I think going over was about 18 hours 45 minutes. The flight was outstanding, the food, the seat, and the crew. Plan on doing it again in 2022 EWR-SIN-BKK if COVID calms down.
Author
Sounds good Alex.
I’ve added a photo of those seats you mentioned. I want to do it again and take the Premium Economy this time. They have some really good fares now.
Kerwin.