# Longest regular non-stop airplane flight. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 25, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881 "2010-11-25T15:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Timz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/183 "2025-09-16T21:31:51Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > I wonder why they chose Auckland, of all places, to refuel. Are airlines allowed to schedule flights over Antarctica these days? If not – if you’re not supposed to fly south of 75 degrees, say – then Auckland might be a logical choice. The airliner is supposed to stay within how many nautical miles of a suitable airport? ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/184 "2025-09-17T03:15:21Z")
My point was that since these two points are nearly halfway around the world from each other, it actually doesn’t affect the distance all that much where the refueling stop is. For example if you wanted to fly from the North Pole to the South Pole, you could add a stop anywhere in the world without affecting the distance traveled. For Shanghai & Buenos Aires, the great circle distance is 12,176 miles; and [the distances via various major hubs are:](http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=PVG-EZE,+PVG-AKL-EZE,+PVG-JNB-EZE,+PVG-HNL-EZE,+PVG-LHR-EZE,+PVG-LAX-EZE,+PVG-YYZ-EZE) - Auckland: 12,229 miles - Johannesburg: 12,371 miles - Honolulu: 12,484 miles - Los Angeles: 12,600 miles - London Heathrow: 12,658 miles - Toronto: 12,670 miles Auckland _does_ come out slightly ahead, though, since the great-circle route goes pretty close to the South Pole. I would guess that it’s a combination of that, an underserved market, availability of flight slots (Sydney would also make sense distance-wise but it’s pretty congested), and probably umpteen other factors that entire divisions of airlines are well-paid to think very carefully about. ---
**Author:** ![Timz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/185 "2025-09-18T19:59:03Z")
Auckland happens to be fairly close to halfway, which helps. Turns out if the 777 is allowed to be 2600 nm from an airport, then the straight line EZE-PVG is almost legal for it, assuming there’s no rule against going to 82 degrees south. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/186 "2025-09-19T00:19:39Z")
I have twice flown Korean Air, Inchon to Toronto, 19 hrs non stop. (Right before Covid hit, cost was $1000) Both times onward to Singapore. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/187 "2025-10-06T22:09:06Z")
Article about the flight from a flight attendant’s persepective: > **[The marathon of the skies: Inside the world's longest nonstop flight from the...](https://creators.yahoo.com/lifestyle/story/the-marathon-of-the-skies-inside-the-worlds-longest-nonstop-flight-from-the-perspective-of-a-flight-attendant-133324450.html)** > > A flight attendant explains how crew prepare for the almost 19 hour trip and what they do to stay alert and refreshed ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2025, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/188 "2025-10-06T23:04:13Z")
That article links to [one](https://nypost.com/2025/07/08/lifestyle/im-a-flight-attendant-on-the-longest-flight-in-the-world/) from the New York Post, which in turn links to [one from Travel & Leisure](https://www.travelandleisure.com/longest-flight-in-the-world-11763683) that appears to be the original source of the quotes. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/189 "2025-12-04T16:42:25Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s not non-stop, but it is direct with a refueling stop in NZ. Buenos Aires, to Shanghai - 29 hours. > > [A Chinese airline is launching a 12,000-mile, 29-hour-long flight across the Pacific](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/chinese-airline-launching-12-000-141411841.html) And it’s in the air now [https://simpleflying.com/29-hours-china-eastern-begins-the-worlds-new-longest-1-stop-route/](https://simpleflying.com/29-hours-china-eastern-begins-the-worlds-new-longest-1-stop-route/) ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/190 "2025-12-09T07:19:16Z")
Latest update on the proposed Sydney-London direct flight. [https://www.timeout.com/australia/news/the-worlds-longest-non-stop-flight-is-set-to-take-off-from-australia-in-2027-032825](https://www.timeout.com/australia/news/the-worlds-longest-non-stop-flight-is-set-to-take-off-from-australia-in-2027-032825) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/191 "2025-12-09T17:35:17Z")
I found that article slightly confusing because it seems to be using “direct” and “non-stop” interchangeably. They don’t actually means the same thing – direct flights can have stops. So I found myself asking “Is this flight actually going to be non-stop, or merely direct?” I assume non-stop, since is says it will claim the title of longest non-stop flight. (And I doubt a direct flight with stops would be newsworthy, since I’m pretty sure those already exist, or have in the past). ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/192 "2025-12-10T16:12:21Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > And I doubt a direct flight with stops would be newsworthy, since I’m pretty sure those already exist, or have in the past I’ve had flights listed as “direct” (same flight number but with a stop) which involved a plane change at the stop. So “direct” is pretty meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![Timz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2025, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/193 "2025-12-11T00:28:02Z")
In the old days, until 1970 or so, “direct” did mean no plane change. Change of plane made the flight a “connecting flight” in the OAG, where all the direct flights were listed above the connecting flights. The airlines somehow got them to change that rule. Think I’ve seen “direct” flights with two plane changes. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/194 "2026-07-28T18:54:38Z")
The 24 hour barrier has been broken > **[Airbus Just Flew an A350 for 24 Hours Straight, Breaking Aviation Records](https://travel.yahoo.com/flights/articles/airbus-just-flew-a350-24-134732484.html)** > > The dream of skipping the dreaded long-haul layover and flying directly from Australia to anywhere in the world is no longer just a concept on a drawing ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/195 "2026-07-28T21:54:18Z")
> The dream of skipping the dreaded long-haul layover and flying directly from Australia to anywhere in the world is no longer just a concept on a drawing board. It’s now being replaced by the nightmare of sitting in a plane with 350 other people for 24 straight hours. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/196 "2026-07-28T22:25:36Z")
Yeah, if I were flying that far, I’d want a two-hour layover or two somewhere in between. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/197 "2026-07-28T22:34:59Z")
The article says that the plane would have 238 seats, so counting the cockpit and cabin crew, there might be 250 people on board. And the article also talks about how an auxiliary fuel tank was needed for a journey of that length. There are other considerations; they will need to stock enough food and beverages for a flight that long, along with large enough waste tanks so that the toilets are still usable at hour 23. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/198 "2026-07-28T22:35:20Z")
No! The _dream_ is the air liner goes Mach 5–10, the flight from Sydney to London takes 2 or 3 hours, tops, and a ticket does not cost $20,000. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/199 "2026-07-28T23:06:53Z")
Sub-orbital rocket hops. Anywhere in the world in 45 minutes or less. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2026, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/200 "2026-07-28T23:17:38Z")
[![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/World-wide_delivery_in_30_minutes_or_less.JPG) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/World-wide_delivery_in_30_minutes_or_less.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/201 "2026-07-29T00:50:07Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > replaced by the nightmare of sitting in a plane with 350 other people for 24 straight hours Now I have this nagging feeling that diverts from passengers losing it would be more frequent than the on-time arrival. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/202 "2026-07-29T00:56:13Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > It’s now being replaced by the nightmare of sitting in a plane with 350 other people for 24 straight hours. These are designed to be premium heavy cabins. The Singapore to New York flight is only Business and Premium Economy. The Sydney to New York/London flights will be 6 first class, 52 business class, 40 premium economy, 42 economy plus and 98 economy seats. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881.md?page=11)