15 Longest Flights in the World

If you’re looking to maximize your time in the sky, you might consider taking the current longest flight in the world — just board a Singapore Airlines plane in New York City and disembark in Singapore 9,537 miles (and nearly 19 hours) later.

While that flight holds the current record, it isn’t the longest flight ever flown — the longest nonstop commercial flight ever operated happened back in March 2020. Air Tahiti Nui flew nonstop from Papeete, Tahiti to Paris, traveling 9,765 miles, bypassing its usual stopover in Los Angeles due to pandemic-related travel restrictions in place at the time. That record, however, will be surpassed by Qantas in 2025, when the airline launches its 10,573-mile flights between Sydney and London and its 9,950-mile flights between Sydney and New York.

Here is the current list of the top 15 longest flights in the world that are in operation. They are ordered according to distance, since this metric remains constant, as opposed to flight timing, which can vary according to season, weather, and airport conditions at different times of the year.

Of the below flights, the shortest estimated flight time clocks in at a whopping 14 hours and 30 minutes, so you’ll need to come prepared for the long haul. Wear a comfortable airplane outfit, grab your best travel pillow, and queue up your favorite TV shows and movies — you’ve got time to kill. And if there was ever a time to upgrade to first class, this is it.   

Related: 33 Tips for Making a Long-haul Flight More Comfortable

1. New York City (JFK) – Singapore (SIN)

Airline: Singapore Airlines

Distance: 9,537 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 18 hours, 50 minutes

2. Singapore (SIN) – Newark (EWR)

Airline: Singapore Airlines

Distance: 9,523 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 18 hours, 45 minutes

3. Perth (PER) – London (LHR)

Airline: Qantas

Distance: 9,010 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 15 minutes

4. Melbourne (MEL) – Dallas (DFW)

Airline: Qantas

Distance: 8,992 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 35 minutes

5. Auckland (AKL) – New York (JFK)

Airline: Air New Zealand and Qantas

Distance: 8,828 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 35 minutes

6. Dubai (DXB) – Auckland (AKL)

Airline: Emirates

Distance: 8,824 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 10 minutes

7. Singapore (SIN) – Los Angeles (LAX)

Airline: Singapore Airlines

Distance: 8,770 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 50 minutes

8. Bangalore (BLR) – San Francisco (SFO)

Airline: Air India

Distance: 8,701 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 40 minutes

9. Houston (IAH) – Sydney (SYD)

Airline: United Airlines

Distance: 8,596 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours, 35 minutes

10. Sydney (SYD) – Dallas (DFW)

Airline: Qantas

Distance: 8,576 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 15 hours, 20 minutes

11. Manila (MNL) – San Francisco (SFO)

Airline: Philippine Airlines

Distance: 8,520 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 17 hours

12. Singapore (SIN) – San Francisco (SFO)

Airline: Singapore Airlines and United Airlines

Distance: 8,446 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 14 hours, 30 minutes

13. Atlanta (ATL) – Johannesburg (JNB)

Airline: Delta

Distance: 8,439 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 15 hours, 20 minutes

14. Mumbai (BOM) – San Francisco (SFO)

Airline: Air India

Distance: 8,406 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 16 hours

15. Dubai (DXB) – Los Angeles (LAX)

Airline: Emirates

Distance: 8,339 miles

Estimated Flight Time: 16 hours, 20 minutes