Over time, different airline companies have established a number of ultra-long haul non-stop flights. This article covers the longest flights among them. The opening of these super long routes can reduce the number of stops passengers must take to increase passenger comfort in the journey and reduce the time needed to travel between distant city pairs, although stopovers can also be rejuvenating in long distance travel. It also can help build ego and build loyalty among a set of flyers. And thus there is competition among airlines to establish the longest flight, even though these operations often use suboptimal shrunk airliners, which are harder to profit from.
Video Longest flights
Definition
The word "longest flight" can mean numerous different things. The most commonly used metric would be for distance between the origin airport and destination airport, but it can also refer to longest in term of time needed to fly the route or the distance actually flown by the aircraft. Also, although it is most commonly used to compare between different non-stop flights, direct flights with stops might also be compared in some occasions.
Maps Longest flights
Current longest route
The "world's longest flight" has disputed status due to the generality of such a claim. While the distance between two cities is constant, aircraft do not follow a straight path but will adjust the flight path based on headwinds/tailwinds, other weather events, and to avoid flying over certain countries due to politics or war.
By great circle distance and time
Since 5 February 2017, the longest non-stop scheduled airline flight by great circle distance is Qatar Airways Flight 921/920 between Auckland, New Zealand and Doha, Qatar at 14,535 kilometres (7,848 nmi; 9,032 mi). The flights use a Boeing 777-200LR. QR 921 from Auckland to Doha is also the longest flight in duration, taking 18 hours and 20 minutes.
By ground distance travelled
Routings may avoid the shorter ground distance of a great circle route to use tailwinds to save time and fuel, shortening the equivalent still air distance. Air India's flights from Delhi to San Francisco can be routed over the Pacific Ocean rather than the North Pole over 15,000 km (8,099 nmi; 9,321 mi) rather than 12,395 km (6,693 nmi; 7,702 mi), similar to the 17 hours QR 921's distance, but taking 14.5 hours due to tailwinds.
Cathay Pacific flights from Hong Kong to New York City-JFK can fly 15,000 km (8,099 nmi; 9,321 mi) ground routes, rather than the 12,984 km (7,011 nmi; 8,068 mi) great circle route.
History
From 1943 to 1945, Qantas operated "The Double Sunrise", a weekly 5,652 kilometres (3,052 nmi; 3,512 mi) flight between Perth, Australia and Koggala Lagoon in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) with average flight times of 28 hours, using a Consolidated PBY Catalina. One of these flights remains the record holder for longest time airborne (for a commercial flight) at 32 hours, 9 minutes.
On 1-2 October 1957, a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the ultimate piston-engine airliner in terms of range and endurance, flew the inaugural 8,638 kilometres (4,664 nmi; 5,367 mi) London-San Francisco polar route in 23 hours, 19 minutes.
In June 1961, El Al began a 9,137 kilometres (4,934 nmi; 5,677 mi) route from New York City-JFK to Tel Aviv using a Boeing 707 and averaging 9 hours, 33 minutes. This route was previously tested in December 1957 with a Bristol Britannia.
In August 1967, Aerolíneas Argentinas established its non-stop Boeing 707 service on a 10,063 kilometres (5,434 nmi; 6,253 mi) route between Madrid and Buenos Aires with a flight time of 12 hours.
The Aerolíneas Argentinas route was the longest scheduled flight by distance until 1976, when the Boeing 747-SP entered service. In April 1976, Pan American World Airways set the new record with its 10,899 kilometres (5,885 nmi; 6,772 mi) New York City-JFK/Tokyo-Haneda route. In December, the airline set another record with Sydney-San Francisco, covering 11,937 kilometres (6,445 nmi; 7,417 mi).
The dissolution of the Soviet Union eventually opened the airspace over Russia, allowing new circumpolar routes to come into use for commercial airlines. On 1 March 2001, Continental Airlines launched a 12,980 kilometres (7,009 nmi; 8,065 mi) non-stop service from Newark to Hong Kong flying Boeing 777 aircraft. This was the first non-stop route for any airline with a duration exceeding 16 hours. Within a month, United Airlines started its own New York City-JFK to Hong Kong service with Boeing 747-400 aircraft, adding 11 kilometers to the distance.
In June 2004, Singapore Airlines introduced Flight SQ 21, using the Airbus A340-500 on a 15,344 kilometres (8,285 nmi; 9,534 mi) great circle route from Newark to Singapore, passing within 130 kilometres (70 nmi; 81 mi) of the North Pole and taking a little over 18 hours. This was immediately surpassed by return Flight SQ 22, which flew the current record of 16,600 kilometres (8,963 nmi; 10,315 mi) back to Newark. Despite the greater distance, SQ 22 averaged a slightly shorter 17 hours, 45 minutes because of prevailing high-altitude winds.
In the late 2000s/early 2010s, rising fuel prices coupled with the Great Recession caused the cancellation of many ultra-long haul, non-stop flights. This included the services provided by Singapore Airlines from Singapore to both Newark and Los Angeles that was ended in late 2013. But as fuel prices have since decreased and more fuel efficient aircraft have come into service, many ultra-long haul routes have been reinstated or newly scheduled.
Record flights
In August 1989, the first Qantas Boeing 747-400, the City of Canberra, set a non-stop distance record for a commercial aircraft by flying 17,016 kilometres (9,188 nmi; 10,573 mi) between London and Sydney in 20 hours, 9 minutes. The purpose was to publicize the airline's "Longreach" services with the 747-400. In addition to the five pilots, two cabin crew and sixteen passengers were aboard.
On 16 June 1993, an Airbus A340-200, dubbed the World Ranger, flew from the Paris Air Show to Auckland, New Zealand in 21 hours 32 minutes and back in 21 hours, 46 minutes after a five-hour layover. This was the first non-stop flight between Europe and New Zealand and the longest non-stop flight by an airliner. The 19,277 kilometres (10,409 nmi; 11,978 mi) Paris to Auckland had 22 people aboard and five center tanks. This record held until 1997 when a Boeing 777-200ER flew 20,044 kilometres (10,823 nmi; 12,455 mi) from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on delivery to Malaysia Airlines.
On 9 November 2005, a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 777-200LR completed the world's longest non-stop passenger flight. It traveled 21,602 kilometres (11,664 nmi; 13,423 mi) eastward from Hong Kong to London-Heathrow in roughly 22 hours, 22 minutes as opposed to a normal westward routing for that sector, which is much shorter at 9,648 kilometres (5,210 nmi; 5,995 mi). Aboard were eight pilots, including Suzanna Darcy-Henneman, Boeing's first female test pilot. Although the airplane seats 301, there were only 27 passengers aboard.
In March 2006, a British Airways Boeing 777-200 made the longest commercial non-stop flight with paying passengers when chartered by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his entourage from Brussels to Melbourne in 18 hours, 45 minutes.
On 6 March 2016, two days before International Women's Day, Air India operated the world's longest all-women-crew flight. The 17-hour, 12,403 kilometres (6,697 nmi; 7,707 mi) flight, AI 173 from Delhi to San Francisco, had an all-women staff, including cabin crew, cockpit crew, doctor, customer care staff and the ground staff including the operator, technician, engineer, flight dispatcher and trimmer.
Future routes
Scheduled services
On 1 September 2018, Qantas will launch nonstop flights between Melbourne and San Francisco using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The flight will cover 12,641 kilometres (6,826 nmi; 7,855 mi) and last roughly 15 hours.
On 15 September 2018, Cathay Pacific will begin nonstop flights between Hong Kong and Washington--Dulles using Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The flight will cover 13,122 kilometres (7,085 nmi; 8,154 mi) and last about 16 hours.
On 28 October 2018 Philippine Airlines will launch nonstop flights between Manila and New York using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (could change to an Airbus A350-900). The flight will cover 13,712 kilometres (7,404 nmi; 8,520 mi) and last 15 hours and 30 minutes.
On 30 November 2018, Air New Zealand will begin nonstop flights between Chicago--O'Hare and Auckland using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The flight will cover 13,171 kilometres (7,112 nmi; 8,184 mi) and last about 16 hours.
Announced but not yet scheduled services
Singapore Airlines is the launch customer for the ultra-long range Airbus A350-900ULR. The airline has ordered seven of these aircraft, with delivery scheduled for 2018. Their range of 9,700 nautical miles (17,964 km; 11,163 mi) will enable Singapore Airlines to re-launch its non-stop flights between Singapore and both Los Angeles and New York City. The distance between Singapore and Los Angeles is 14,114 km (7,621 nmi; 8,770 mi), compared to the 15,348 km (8,287 nmi; 9,537 mi) between Singapore and New York City--JFK. Seating on these aircraft will be reduced from the 300 in the standard A350 configuration to around 170 so that more fuel can be carried and additional U.S. cities can be served in the future.
In August 2015, Emirates announced that nonstop flights between Dubai and Panama City, Panama will begin on 1 February 2016, covering 13,821 km (7,463 nmi; 8,588 mi) in 17 hours, 35 minutes westbound. In January 2016, the start was postponed to 31 March 2016. In early March 2016, Emirates postponed the route until the end of 2016 or early 2017 or "as soon as conditions allow."
In April 2017, Qatar Airways announced that it will begin flying between Doha and San Francisco in 2018. The airline will use Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the 13,015 km (7,028 nmi; 8,087 mi) route.
Envisioned services
According to a published report in September 2015, Miami International Airport (Florida) was in talks with EVA Air and China Airlines of Taiwan to launch before 2018 a nonstop 13,923 km (7,518 nmi; 8,651 mi) flight to Taipei. In June 2016, a chartered China Airlines Boeing 777-300ER carrying Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen flew non-stop from Taipei to Miami before continuing to Panama. The airport director spoke with President Tsai about the opportunity for scheduled service between Miami and Taipei. The airport has been actively pursuing a non-stop flight to East Asia since 2015. There are no non-stop passenger flights between Florida, the third-most populous state in the U.S., and East Asia. In May 2017, the region's aviation department director predicted such a flight would happen within the next 24 months.
Qantas could start non-stop flights between Perth and Paris in mid-2018 with Boeing 787-9 aircraft. If a capable airliner becomes available, Qantas could launch non-stop flights by 2022 from Australia's eastern capitals to London. Qantas estimates that a Sydney to London flight (17,016 kilometres (9,188 nmi; 10,573 mi)) would take 20 hours, 20 minutes, while a Sydney to New York City flight (16,013 kilometres (8,646 nmi; 9,950 mi)) would take 18 hours, 7 minutes. The Airbus A350-900ULR is expected to launch in 2018 with a range of 17,964 kilometres (9,700 nmi; 11,162 mi) and will be capable of flying both routes non-stop. The Boeing 777-8 is expected to enter service by 2022, have a range of 16,090 kilometres (8,688 nmi; 9,998 mi), and carry up to 365 passengers. The 777-8X will be capable of flying the Sydney to New York City route non-stop with a higher payload than the A350-900ULR; however, the 777-8X will not be able to fly Sydney to London non-stop. According to a published report in 2012, Boeing had been considering a longer range variant of the 777-8, dubbed the "777-8LX", that could fly non-stop from Sydney to London.
Air New Zealand is envisioning non-stop flights from Auckland to New York City (14,207 km (7,671 nmi; 8,828 mi)) and Toronto (13,867 km (7,488 nmi; 8,617 mi)) beginning in the early 2020s. The airline is considering Boeing 777X and Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft to replace its Boeing 777-200ER fleet.
Airliners
The longest range Airbus jetliner in service is the A340-500, which is capable of flying 16,670 kilometres (9,000 nmi; 10,360 mi) with 293 passengers. The A380 is capable of flying 15,200 kilometres (8,200 nmi; 9,400 mi) with 544 passengers. The A350-900 can fly 15,000 kilometres (8,100 nmi; 9,300 mi) with 325 passengers. The announced A350-900ULR will be capable of flying 18,000 kilometres (9,700 nmi; 11,000 mi).
The longest range Boeing airliner in service is the 777-200LR, which can cover 17,446 kilometres (9,420 nmi; 10,840 mi) with 317 passengers. The announced Boeing 777-8X will be capable of flying 16,110 kilometres (8,700 nmi; 10,010 mi) with 350 to 375 passengers. A longer range variant of the 777-8X could enable economical non-stop flights on the 17,016-kilometre (9,188 nmi; 10,573 mi) Kangaroo route between London and Sydney in about 19 hours.
Many long-haul, non-stop routes that have been uneconomical are being made viable by newer aircraft like the Airbus A330neo, the Airbus A350 XWB, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Longest passenger flights by great circle distance
Non-stop flights
The following table lists the world's longest non-stop scheduled passenger routes by "great circle" distance. The actual distance flown, however, can be longer than the great circle distance for a variety of reasons, such as avoiding severe weather, taking advantage of favorable winds aloft, detouring around closed airspace, and diverting around war zones.
For the purposes of this table, multiple flights operated by the same airline between the same airports are counted as one flight, while different airlines operating between the same airports are counted separately. Also, each airport pair is counted separately, even though some cities have multiple airports supporting long-range flights (e.g. Kennedy and Newark airports serving New York City and Haneda and Narita serving Tokyo).
- Notes
^Note 1 The date given for the start of Qantas Flight 8 is when it began flying non-stop after switching to the Airbus A380-800 from the Boeing 747-400ER. Previously, QF 8 required a stop in Brisbane, though the eastbound QF 7 from Sydney was always non-stop. The first flight of QF 7 was 16 May 2011.
^Note 2 After Qatar Airways began nonstop flights between Doha and Auckland on 5 February 2017, the flight is currently operated by Boeing 777-200LR aircraft. The 777-200LR is a temporary solution. In the near future, it will be an Airbus A350 but currently there is not enough available.
^Note 3 Initially Air Canada flights 37 and 38 will be seasonal ending on February 4, 2018. They will resume on June 1 and 3, 2018 respectively as year round service.
Direct flights
A direct flight between an origin and final destination has an intermediate stop, with all segments having the same flight number and using the same aircraft. In the following table, the "Distance" column lists the great circle distance between the origin and final destination, excluding the stop. The "Flown distance" column lists the total great circle distance from the origin to the stop to the final destination.
Discontinued non-stop flights
- Notes
^Note 1 Service began on 28 June 2004, at which point it was the longest non-stop commercial flight. This flight from 2008 to 2013 was business class only, with 100 seats.
^Note 2 Service began on 3 February 2004, at which point it was the longest non-stop commercial flight.
^Note 3 This was the longest flight ever operated by Delta Air Lines.
^Note 4 Service began on 1 Apr 2001, at which point it was the longest non-stop commercial flight.
^Note 5 Air India stopped its nonstop flights from Mumbai to New York City and Chicago when the airline shifted their primary hub to Delhi.
^Note 6 This flight now operates via London on the Boeing 787-8.
Airlines and aircraft types for non-stop flights
The sections below gives two separate views. The first one lists all the commercial aircraft types used for serving non-stop flights and their currently scheduled and operating longest flight. The second section attempts to list all the passenger airline companies in the world and their longest scheduled non-stop flight currently in operation.
By aircraft type
Current
The table below lists the current longest (by great circle distance) non-stop flights operated by different types of aircraft.
Records
The table below lists the longest (by great circle distance) ever (Current and Historical) regularly scheduled non-stop revenue flights operated by different types of aircraft.
Notes:
- One-off flights do not count
By airline companies (currently scheduled)
The table below lists international airline companies with their longest (in mileage not time) non-stop flight currently in operation.
See also
- Flight length
- ETOPS/LROPS
- Longest train services
- Flight distance record
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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