What Is the Longest Flight in the World?

What is the longest flight in the world? Right now, it is Singapore Airlines’ service from New York to Singapore, a nonstop haul of about 15,332 kilometres that takes close to 19 hours in the air. Fly it, and you cross 12 time zones without ever touching down. It is a record that keeps being chased, and Australia is about to grab it, so here is where things stand in 2026 and what comes next.

What is the longest flight in the world?

The current record holder is Singapore Airlines, flying between New York’s JFK and Singapore Changi. The great-circle distance is roughly 15,332 kilometres, and a typical run takes about 18 hours and 45 minutes, near enough to 19 hours. The airline’s Newark to Singapore route is a whisker behind at around 15,329 kilometres, so Singapore Airlines holds both of the top two spots.

Rankings are measured by distance rather than time, and there is a good reason for that. Winds push these flights along or hold them back, so the same route can take 17 hours one day and 19 the next. Distance stays constant, which is why the world’s longest flights are listed by great-circle kilometres, not the clock.

Nearly 19 hours is a long time to be airborne. It is two full nights of sleep for some passengers, a couple of meal services, and more than a standard working day spent in a single seat. Carriers plan these flights carefully around crew rest, catering and fuel, because there is no quick diversion halfway across the Pacific.

The world’s longest flights, ranked

The top of the list has settled around a familiar group of ultra-long-haul routes. Distances are approximate great-circle figures and shift as airlines tweak schedules, but the order looks like this in 2026.

• Singapore Airlines, New York (JFK) to Singapore, about 15,332km, close to 19 hours
• Singapore Airlines, Newark to Singapore, about 15,329km
• Qatar Airways, Auckland to Doha, about 14,535km
• Qantas, Perth to London, about 14,499km
• Qantas, Dallas Fort Worth to Melbourne, about 14,470km
• Qantas, Perth to Paris, about 14,400km

Australia and Singapore feature heavily, which is no accident. Both sit a long way from Europe and North America, so their airlines have the most to gain from flying nonstop rather than making passengers connect. The rankings have also grown over time: the longest routes of 25 years ago would barely make today’s top ten, as newer aircraft stretched what a single flight can cover.

The aircraft that makes ultra-long-haul possible

None of these routes existed without the right aircraft. The plane is the enabling factor, and one type dominates the very longest flights.

The Airbus A350-900ULR

The A350-900ULR, the ultra-long-range version of the A350, carries extra fuel and is the aircraft behind Singapore Airlines’ record-setting routes. It can stay airborne for around 18 to 19 hours, which is exactly what a New York to Singapore run demands. Its range is the whole reason these city pairs can be linked at all.

Why twinjets replaced the A380 and 747

The longest routes used to need four engines, on aircraft like the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 747. Modern twinjets changed that. Two efficient engines burn far less fuel over 15,000 kilometres, so airlines can fly further while carrying less fuel to do it. Efficiency, not size, is what wins on ultra-long-haul today.

The challenge of flying that far

Flying that far is not simple. Every extra tonne of fuel is weight that itself needs fuel to carry, crews must be rotated so pilots stay rested, and winds have to be worked into the plan on every leg. It is a fine balance, which is why only a handful of aircraft can do it well.

Australia’s place in the rankings

Qantas and the long-haul list

For a country its size, Australia is remarkably well represented. Qantas already flies several of the world’s longest routes, including Perth to London, Perth to Paris and Dallas to Melbourne, all pushing past 14,000 kilometres. Distance from everywhere else turns out to be a strange kind of advantage.

Project Sunrise: Sydney to London and New York

The big one is still to come. Qantas Project Sunrise will fly nonstop from Sydney to London, a journey of about 17,015 kilometres taking somewhere between 19 and 22 hours, on a specially modified Airbus A350-1000ULR with an extra fuel tank. It is due to launch from October 2027, with Sydney to New York confirmed as the next route, and when it does, it will become the longest flight in the world. Dates and timings are subject to change, so treat them as a guide.

Going the distance by private jet

The airlines do not have ultra-long-haul to themselves anymore. A new generation of private jets can fly nearly as far, linking cities that scheduled carriers connect only with their longest routes.

Ultra-long-range business jets

The longest-range business jets now cover roughly 14,000 to 15,000 kilometres nonstop. That is enough to fly from the Australian east coast to the west coast of the United States, or from Australia deep into Europe, on a single aircraft with a cabin built for a dozen or so passengers rather than a few hundred.

The Global 8000 and Gulfstream G800

Two aircraft lead the field. The Gulfstream G800 holds the range record for a business jet at about 15,000 kilometres, while the Bombardier Global 8000 flies a shade less at around 14,800 kilometres but is the fastest civil aircraft since Concorde. Either can connect distant city pairs nonstop, which puts genuine intercontinental range within reach of a private charter.

Long-haul in private comfort

The difference is how you spend those hours. A private jet means a flat bed, a quiet cabin, your own schedule and departure from a private terminal, rather than 19 hours in a fixed seat. For the longest journeys, that comfort is the point. If an ultra-long-range charter is something you are weighing up, ask us about a private jet charter, and we will talk through the aircraft and the range.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the longest flight in the world?

As of 2026, the longest flight in the world is Singapore Airlines’ nonstop service from New York (JFK) to Singapore, a great-circle distance of about 15,332 kilometres flown in close to 19 hours on the Airbus A350-900ULR. The airline’s Newark to Singapore route is a close second.

What aircraft flies the longest routes?

The Airbus A350-900ULR flies the current longest routes for Singapore Airlines, and the A350-1000ULR will fly Qantas Project Sunrise. Both are ultra-long-range twinjets carrying extra fuel, which have replaced older four-engine aircraft like the A380 and 747 on these routes.

Can a private jet fly the world’s longest routes?

Almost. The longest-range business jets, the Gulfstream G800 and Bombardier Global 8000, can fly roughly 14,000 to 15,000 kilometres nonstop, close to the longest commercial routes. That is enough to link many distant city pairs directly, in a private cabin and on your own schedule.

The records will keep tumbling, but the appeal of flying nonstop and in comfort will not. If an ultra-long-range trip is on the cards, ask Air Charter Network about a private charter on 1300 850 747 or request a quote online.