Flights from the United States to Singapore have bagged the top two spots in a global listing of longest non-stop flights in the world, in operation in July.
The list has been prepared by aviation data aggregator and analyst firm OAG, which says that as of July, the list of the world’s top 10 longest flights includes destinations in Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East. In a press statement, the UK-based firm ranks the longest routes of commercial flights by Great Circle Distance (GCD) in km.
The statement adds that GCD measures a flight’s length, taking into account the fact that the Earth is spherical and therefore the shortest route for a flight to take is not a straight line drawn from point to point on a two dimensional map.
New York (JFK), USA to Singapore Changi (SIN), Singapore
Distance (GCD): 15,332 km
Airline: Singapore Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
OAG says that New York John F Kennedy Airport–Singapore Changi is currently the longest commercial flight it is possible to book. At 15,332km, this route has been at the top of the table since 2021 and takes an average of 18 hours and 40 minutes to complete.
Newark Liberty International (EWR), USA to Singapore Changi (SIN), Singapore
Distance (GCD): 15,329 km
Airline: Singapore Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Offering direct links to other Asian countries and Australia, Singapore Changi also features in the second longest flight route of 2023. The statement says that the Newark–Changi route is just 3 km shorter than the longest route and until Singapore Airlines introduced flights from JFK to Singapore this was the world’s longest route from 2004-2013 and again from 2018-2020.
Perth (PER), Australia – London Heathrow (LHR), England
Distance (GCD): 14,499 km
Airline: Qantas Airways
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
With a scheduled flight time of 17 hours and 45 minutes, OAG says this is the only route in the top 10 that features a European airport, since Qantas’s Darwin–Heathrow route, which held 8th place last year, is not currently in operation.
Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), USA – Melbourne (MEL), Australia
Distance (GCD): 14,468 km
Airline: Qantas Airways
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
OAG says Dallas Fort Worth has been a permanent fixture on the monthly list of busiest airports this year, offering Australian visitors onward flights to 193 US destinations. The flight from Dallas to Melbourne takes 17 hours 35 minutes.
Auckland International (AKL), New Zealand – New York (JFK), USA
Distance (GCD):
Airline: Air New Zealand, Qantas
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
Launched in 2022, this is the first Air New Zealand route flying non-stop to New York. The scheduled flight time is 16 hours 15 minutes. In 2023, Qantas entered the AKL-JFK market, introducing some competition for Air New Zealand.
Auckland International (AKL), New Zealand – Dubai International (DXB), UAE
Distance (GCD): 14,193 km
Airline: Emirates
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
In 2016, this was the world’s longest flight at 14,193 km and it has taken just seven years to move down to 6th place on the list. OAG adds that the flight is scheduled to last 17 hours and 5 minutes, landing in Dubai, one of the world’s busiest global airports.
Los Angeles (LAX), USA – Singapore Changi (SIN), Singapore
Distance (GCD): 14,096 km
Airline: Singapore Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Singapore Changi Airport makes its third and final appearance on OAG’s list at number 7 on the list of longest non-stop commercial flights, on a route that was first flown by United Airlines in 2016 and was, at the time, the longest scheduled non-stop flight from the US.
Bengaluru (BLR), India – San Francisco (SFO), USA
Distance (GCD): 13,982km
Airline: Air India
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200LR
The statement adds that the 13,982 km flight from Bengaluru in Southern India to the US west coast’s San Francisco Airport is the only Air India flight to make it into the top 10, but last month they confirmed orders for 470 new airplanes to add to their fleet, including 70 wide-bodied aircraft, so there is anticipation of more new routes coming up.
Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), USA – Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD), Australia
Distance (GCD): 13,802 km
Airline: Qantas
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
A fourth route on the list for Qantas Airways, in 2014 and 2015 this was the longest scheduled commercial flight in the world and clocks in at 13,802 km, taking the 9th place in July 2023. OAG says that this flight crosses the International Date Line, departs in the evening and lasts 16 hours and 45 minutes, which means it arrives in Sydney two days after departure.
New York (JFK), USA – Manila Ninoy Aquino (MNL), Philippines
Distance (GCD): 13,691 km
Airline: Philippine Airlines
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
The statement adds that this is one of two routes that make the list in July 2023 but were absent from the top 10 in July 2022, the other being DFW-SYD. It replaces United’s Houston-Sydney route, which has been changed to a seasonal route and will be back in action in October.