Since the early days of aviation, there has always been a sense of prestige associated with staying in the air for longer periods, traveling farther, and offering passengers more comfort to help them pass the time.
On New Year’s Day 1914, the first passenger flight in history took place. Pilot Anthony Janus took off in a Benoist XIV from St. Petersburg, Florida, and landed half an hour later in Tampa, about 34 kilometers to the west. The sole passenger was Abraham Pheil, then mayor of St. Petersburg. When journalists surrounded him upon landing to inquire about his experience, he responded, “It was thrilling, but it felt like it took a long time!” One can only wonder what Pheil would say 110 years later upon learning that some people choose to board a plane and disembark almost 19 hours later, traveling from one side of the Earth to the other.
The record for the longest commercial flight might be unofficial and not internationally recognized, yet it seems to particularly concern the world’s largest airlines. And because every record needs a bit of intrigue, even this record of the longest flight is subject to debate: What exactly does “longest flight” mean? The often arbitrary departure and arrival times listed by airlines on boarding passes? Or the actual distance traveled, meaning the projection of the flight on the Earth’s surface? Experts have not yet agreed on this, and probably never will. Everyone will support what benefits them most. For this article, we have followed the second variable (distance in kilometers), which seems more objective.
19 Hours in the Air: The 8 Longest Commercial Flights in the World
- New York – Singapore / 18 hours & 40 minutes
These are the longest commercial flights currently operating, with both JFK and Newark Liberty International airports recording the flights. Typically, JFK holds the record, as the flight is recorded as longer by just three kilometers (15,332 vs. 15,329 from Newark). Both flights are operated by Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A350-900s, the largest commercial aircraft in operation. The flight duration under normal conditions is 18 hours and 40 minutes! For this nearly one-day journey, all seats on the aircraft are designed to offer up to a semblance of private space, allowing passengers to sleep, relax, watch movies, or play video games without disturbing others. - Perth – London / 17 hours & 45 minutes
The distance covered by Singapore Airlines’ A350-900s from Australia’s largest city to the capital of Great Britain is 14,499 kilometers. According to the airline’s schedules, a complete trip takes 17 hours and 45 minutes. The British like to refer to this as the longest “domestic” flight since Australia recognizes the British monarch as its head of state. - Dallas – Melbourne / 17 hours & 35 minutes
Departing from the iconic Fort Worth airport, this flight heads to the city in eastern Australia. It is only 30 kilometers shorter than the previous flight (14,468 km) and completes ten minutes earlier (17 hours and 35 minutes). Unlike the previous flight, however, Qantas’ Boeing aircraft traverse nearly the entire Pacific Ocean on this route. - Auckland – Doha / 17 hours & 25 minutes
From New Zealand’s largest city to the capital of Qatar takes 17 hours and 25 minutes according to Qatar Airways’ schedules. The distance is not much shorter (14,526 km), but the flight duration is clearly shorter because it moves against the Earth’s rotation, making the final destination closer. This flight was also at the top of the list until 2017. - Paris – Perth / 17 hours & 20 minutes
Another flight from the Australian airline Qantas, this time to the City of Light. It is specified that the aircraft departs from Charles de Gaulle and not Orly. The total distance is clearly shorter than the previous ones (14,265 kilometers), but this “closer” does not necessarily translate to a shorter flight time. The flight takes more than 17 hours and 20 minutes to complete, traveling in the direction of the Earth’s rotation, thus “chasing” the Australian city to land. - Auckland – Dubai / 17 hours & 5 minutes
Here, Emirates, another aviation giant, operates this route to the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. In 2016, this flight was the longest recorded at that time, but the situation has changed so much that it barely makes the top ten now. It is also the only long-haul Emirates flight on this list. Distance: 14,193 kilometers, duration: 17 hours and 5 minutes. - Auckland – New York / 16 hours & 15 minutes
Qantas found a competitor in this flight, Air New Zealand. To schedule this non-stop flight, Air New Zealand also purchased Boeing 787-9 aircraft. However, both airlines’ flights land at JFK, not Newark. The distance is measured at 14,209 kilometers, and the estimated flight time is 16 hours and 15 minutes. - Shenzhen – Mexico City / 16 hours
Slightly shorter than the previous one (14,124 kilometers separate the two cities), this flight is completed in a much shorter time (16 hours exactly). At least, that is the schedule of China Southern, the only Chinese airline on this list. Interestingly, the return route (Mexico City – Shenzhen) is almost always scheduled with a stop in Tijuana, northern Mexico, on the border with the USA.
