The world’s longest nonstop flights, updated

This is an updated version of a story originally published in May 2018.  

Singapore Airlines currently operates the longest flight in the world, a whopping 9,534-mile nonstop from Newark to the Lion City. But, if Australian flag carrier Qantas does move forward with its high-profile Project Sunrise plan to connect Sydney with nonstop flights to London and New York, Singapore may cede that title.

That’s still years away, though. For now, Singapore remains entrenched at the top.

For many of the world’s longest flights, direction of flight — in other words, winds — can alter flight times considerably. For the Singapore to New York flight, the prevailing winds could turn this normally 19-hour flight into a 22-hour ordeal. Yikes. Thankfully, this route, and the others listed here, are almost all flown in some of the most advanced passenger cabins to date, even if most don’t come with a first-class cabin, only business.

So, you ask, what are the world’s longest routes? You’ve come to the right place to find out. Here are the top 10 longest routes measured by statute miles as calculated by travel data firm OAG.

We’ve listed the flight that typically has the longest flying time, normally the one that flies in the direction where headwinds are normal.

1. Singapore Airlines: New York/Newark (EWR), to Singapore (SIN)

• Flight Number: SQ 21
• Aircraft Flying: Airbus A350-900ULR
• Calculated Distance: 9,525 miles
• Duration of Flight: 18h 30m

2. Qatar Airways: Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), to Doha, Qatar (DOH)

• Flight Number: QR 921
• Aircraft Flying: Boeing 777-200LR
• Calculated Distance: 9,026 miles
• Duration of Flight: 18h 5m

3. Qantas: Perth, Australia (PER), to London (LHR)

• Flight Number: QF 9
• Aircraft Flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated Distance: 9,009 miles
• Duration of Flight: 17h 45m

4. Emirates: Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB)

• Flight Number: EK 449
• Aircraft Flying: Airbus A380
• Calculated Distance: 8,819 miles
• Duration of Flight: 17h 10m

5. Singapore Airlines: Los Angeles (LAX) to Singapore (SIN)

• Flight Number: SQ 37
• Aircraft Flying: Airbus A350-900ULR
• Calculated Distance: 8,759 miles
• Duration of Flight: 17h 50m

6. United Airlines: Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH) to Sydney, Australia (SYD)

• Flight Number: UA 101
• Aircraft Flying: Boeing 787-9
• Calculated Distance: 8,593 miles
• Duration of Flight: 17h 35m

7. Qantas: Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Sydney, Australia (SYD)

• Flight Number: QF 8
• Aircraft Flying: Airbus A380
• Calculated Distance: 8,576 miles
• Duration of Flight: 17h 20m

8. Philippine Airlines: New York (JFK) to Manila, Philippines (MNL)

• Flight Number: PR 127
• Aircraft Flying: Airbus A350-900
• Calculated Distance: 8,507 miles
• Duration of Flight: 16h 50m

9. Singapore Airlines / United Airlines: San Francisco (SFO) to Singapore (SIN)

• Flight Number: SQ 31 / UA 1 / UA 29
• Aircraft Flying: Airbus A350-900 / Boeing 787-9
• Calculated Distance: 8,435 miles
• Duration of Flight: 17h 25-35m (schedules vary by airline and time of departure)

10. Delta Air Lines: Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB), to Atlanta(ATL) 

• Flight Number: DL 201
• Aircraft Flying: Boeing777-200LR
• Calculated Distance: 8,434 miles
• Duration of Flight: 16h 45m

Wallace Cotton contributed reporting for this post.