# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/21 "2010-11-26T20:54:07Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > This seems easily superceded by a SF to Sydney flight, which I’ve taken. SF is rather north of LA, so it would seems only logical that the flight from SF would be a few hundred miles longer than the flight from LA, since Sydney is considerably south of both. You’d think so, but SF to SYD is 7417 miles, while LA to SYD is 7488 miles. It’s because SF is further west. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/22 "2010-11-26T21:34:06Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > The longest flight it lists is Newark to Singapore at 15,345km and 18h 50m. Wow. Some people will do _anything_ to get out of Newark.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/23 "2010-11-26T22:04:18Z")
I’ve done New York to Tokyo, and New York to Johannesburg (and back, of course). Not the longest flights there are, but long enough. And I flew coach. And I’m 6’2". Complete misery. Awful. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/24 "2010-11-26T22:11:18Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I’ve done New York to Tokyo, and New York to Johannesburg (and back, of course). Not the longest flights there are, but long enough. And I flew coach. And I’m 6’2". > > Complete misery. Awful. Well as an aussie I’ve done Sydney-London with the 2 hour stop over (11 hours, wait two hours get back on plane 9 hours) many many times. Worst was in economy on Korean Airlines via Seoul in a middle seat. And I’m 6" 2’ as well. Sure it’s not non-stop but its the longest route which people regularly do together in one go. Nowadays I always try and have at least a one night stop over if I can… not always possible. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/25 "2010-11-26T22:27:03Z")
Three years ago, my family went from JFK to Hong Kong; sixteen hours. We took off at 2pm in December and landed at 6pm the following day. We experienced two sunsets. That same flight in the summer experiences zero sunsets as the flight spends over five hours above the Arctic Circle. We passed about 80 miles from the North Pole. All I could think of was, “If we have mechanical difficulties, we’re probably 1000 miles from the nearest airport.” On the other hand, a flight from SF to HNL is over 1000 miles from either airport at some point. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/26 "2010-11-27T00:14:44Z")
> [@bizerta](#): > > We passed about 80 miles from the North Pole. All I could think of was, “If we have mechanical difficulties, we’re probably 1000 miles from the nearest airport.” On the other hand, a flight from SF to HNL is over 1000 miles from either airport at some point. Probably 800 miles or so: > **[Pituffik Space Base](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Air_Base)** > > Pituffik Space Base (/biːduːˈfiːk/ bee-doo-FEEK; .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Greenlandic: \[pitufːik\]; IATA: THU, ICAO: BGTL), formerly Thule Air Base (/ˈtuːliː/), is a United States Space Force base located on the northwest coast of Greenland in the Kingdom of Denmark under a defense agreement between Denmark and the United St... Russian has airbases very far north as well and both would be open to receiving civilian planes in an emergency. In the middle of the pacific you’d be further from a landing spot, but even then there are many tiny uninhabited islands with airstrips that could be used in emergencies and modern jets can glide a LONG way from 11,000 meters high. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/27 "2010-11-27T01:57:04Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > The flight is possible now with current planes in a configuration with business and first class only (120 passengers) on a 777 but so far they haven’t taken that option. I really can not see them making that choice. They would lose all the cattle class passengers, and their income. Most people can’t afford business class at that level. Unless they are intending to maintain a certain number of the business class spaced seats as cattle class. ---
**Author:** ![Waffle\_Decider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/77aa72/32.png) [@Waffle\_Decider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waffle_Decider)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/28 "2010-11-27T02:17:42Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > In the middle of the pacific you’d be further from a landing spot, but even then there are many tiny uninhabited islands with airstrips that could be used in emergencies and modern jets can glide a LONG way from 11,000 meters high. Just a nitpick: That is true for many routes over the Pacific, but I don’t think that’s the case between LAX/SFO and Hawaii. I’ve read a few stories about people who try to circumnavigate the globe in a small aircraft, and IIRC that is usually mentioned as one of the longest leg where there are no other options available should something go wrong. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/29 "2010-11-27T05:48:00Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I really can not see them making that choice. They would lose all the cattle class passengers, and their income. Most people can’t afford business class at that level. Unless they are intending to maintain a certain number of the business class spaced seats as cattle class. You have that backwards. Airlines make much more margin per seat on business and first class than on economy. Economy class seats are almost always heavily discounted while Business and First rarely are. There are several airlines flying All Business configurations between New York and London and New York and Paris. See here: > **[Demand Grows for All-Business-Class Flights (Published 2007)](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/business/24premium.html)** > > Two major airlines and four start-ups scramble for pieces of the all-business-class market. Qantas would almost certainly fill one each way all business 777 120 seat config per day between London and Sydney, they’d steal business class passengers from all the other airlines that have to stop. And of course they’d keep their 747’s with cattle class going on the current one stop routes as well. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/30 "2010-11-27T08:37:51Z")
> [@Waffle\_Decider](#): > > Just a nitpick: That is true for many routes over the Pacific, but I don’t think that’s the case between LAX/SFO and Hawaii. I’ve read a few stories about people who try to circumnavigate the globe in a small aircraft, and IIRC that is usually mentioned as one of the longest leg where there are no other options available should something go wrong. Hmm… I’ve read stories that indicate going via Japan and Alaska, giving options of diverting to Russia and the Aleutian islands. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/31 "2010-11-27T09:25:37Z")
I done Atlanta-Dubai several times (about 13-14 hours depending on the season)… also LAX/SFO to Sydney and Sydney to Dubai are in the 15-16 hour range. The 14-16 hours flights are not so bad except when they are part of some other segments… eg. Reno - Salt Lake City - Atlanta - Dubai… or Reno - San Francisco - Hong Kong - Dubai. The 4th flight in one trip is always very difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/32 "2012-10-25T15:21:20Z")
Update: Singapore Airlines is discontinuing it’s Singapore-Newark, New Jersey service. Story [here](http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/business&id=8858820). The longest nonstop commercial service will now be: Sydney, Australia to Dallas, Texas on Qantas in terms of distance, 8500 miles. Johannesburg, South Africa to Atlanta, Georgia on Delta in terms of duration, at 17 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/33 "2012-10-25T15:29:42Z")
This is an interesting thread. My question: how much “spare” fuel does an aircraft on that almost-19hr flight carry? And are the tanks filled to capacity to enable it to do that journey, or would it be possible to carry even more fiel? ---
**Author:** ![Dana\_Scully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5daacb/32.png) [@Dana\_Scully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dana_Scully)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/34 "2012-10-25T15:36:59Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > Wikipedia has an article on it. > [Non-stop flight - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-stop_flight) > > The longest flight it lists is Newark to Singapore at 15,345km and 18h 50m. I’d lose me mind, being cooped up in a flying tube for that long. If I had to make such a flight, I’d have my doctor give me sleeping pills so I could sleep through it. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/35 "2012-10-25T15:55:46Z")
> [@Dana\_Scully](#): > > I’d lose me mind, being cooped up in a flying tube for that long. If I had to make such a flight, I’d have my doctor give me sleeping pills so I could sleep through it. To be honest, if I was flying on my own and didn’t have noisy neighbours, the idea of sitting down for 19 hours without having to do anything seems like absolute bliss! ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/36 "2012-10-25T16:08:35Z")
I once did 14.5 hours LAX-Auckland, New Zealand. Framed by ABQ-PHX-LAX and Aukland-Wellington connections. It was brutal even for my younger self, would refuse to do it today. I was not very lucid for the NZ customs inspector. We got to the Hotel and they had no rooms made up. We asked if the bar was open “It’s 7 in the morning mate!” “Not according to our internal clock.” The desk clerk got the Hotel manager to open the bar for us while we waited…It’s 5 O’clock somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/37 "2012-10-25T16:39:37Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > I once did 14.5 hours LAX-Auckland, New Zealand. Framed by ABQ-PHX-LAX and Aukland-Wellington connections. It was brutal even for my younger self, would refuse to do it today. I was not very lucid for the NZ customs inspector. Flying Detroit-Nagoya next week, 13.5 hours. Not looking forward to it. Did Detroit-Tokyo two years ago (also 13.5 hrs), and my mental state for the final couple of hours was surreal. Shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew requests everyone to close their window shades so that anyone can sleep at any time if they so choose; the result is that you never get to see outside for the entire flight, no daylight, no scenery. You’re trapped in tiny seat in a small, dimly lit room (defined left and right by the fuselage walls, and fore/aft by the nearest bulkheads) - and 13.5 hours starts to seem like forever. It’s at times like that when I really wish I was filthy rich so I could afford first-class passage. If I ever had to fly Newark to Singapore non-stop, I think I would have to resort to some combination of Benadryl and alcohol. Barring that, I think I’d deliberatlely choose a multi-stop trip - even if the whole thing took a lot longer - just so I could avoid spending more than a few hours at a time in a plane. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/38 "2012-10-25T16:44:21Z")
> [@bizerta](#): > > On the other hand, a flight from SF to HNL is over 1000 miles from either airport at some point. Back in the '50s and '60s the Coast Guard stationed a weather ship along the routes from Honolulu to the mainland for precisely this reason. Good thing they did, too, for the passengers of [Pan Am Flight 6.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_6) ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/39 "2012-10-25T17:15:49Z")
When I was making the Dhahran, K.S.A. - New York run in the 80’s the flight was about 14 hours as I remember. Since a large percentage of the passengers were ‘Oil Field Trash’ heading home from contract jobs, the 747’s were literally awash in alcohol. I was told by a barkeeper (oops, Flight Attendant) that that particular flight was one of BA’s most heavily stocked - and even then they sometimes ran dry. Reminds me- Q: What’s the most desirable travel document in Saudi Arabia? A: Exit visa. :smack:I know that’s not PC, especially considering the numbers of the faithful who are making the Hajj soon, but it sure felt like it to many of us poor sods.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881/40 "2012-10-25T18:21:21Z")
I’ve done JFK-JNB, among other very long flights. I didn’t find it too bad, at some point you make your peace with it and it’s just a few cycles of sleep-movie-eat-daydream. One great side effect is you don’t get jet lag, because your body has no real concept of what time it is supposed to be. The people in security ahead of me were on first class. Apparently they paid $13,000 each for their tickets! I think I could put up with any amount of discomfort if it’d save me $11,000 bucks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/longest-regular-non-stop-airplane-flight/561881.md?page=3)