The 10 Longest Nonstop Flights in the World (From a Points and Miles Perspective)

Key Takeaways

• Singapore Airlines’ Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK) route is the longest nonstop flight, covering 9,537 miles in about 18 hours and 50 minutes.
• Singapore Airlines’ Singapore (SIN) to Newark (EWR) route is close behind, covering 9,535 miles in 18 hours and 25 minutes.
• Aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner are used for these long-haul flights for better fuel efficiency and passenger comfort.

For points-and-miles geeks, jetting around the world on one of the longest nonstop flights in existence means they get to maximize their time on the truly fantastic products they and their friends aspire to. It’s a big redemption win for hard-earned miles!

To that end, we’re diving into the 10 longest nonstop flights in the world and what they’re worth from a points perspective — along with fun facts about the aircraft primed to get you to your destination.

And if you didn’t pass the points-and-miles geek test this time, one of these fabulous redemptions might convert you!

10 Longest Nonstop Flights in the World

Hot Tip:

Airlines use nautical miles, not on-the-ground miles. Every nautical mile is equal to a little over 1.15 land-based, or statute, miles. However, for the purposes of this article, we’re sticking to the more familiar statute miles unless otherwise stated. We’re also not including the return flights on the same routes.

1. Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK) on Singapore Airlines: 9,537 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 18 hours, 50 minutes
Flight Number: SQ 24
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900ULR
Best business class redemption: 111,500 Singapore KrisFlyer miles one-way (transfer from Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy)

Though it was temporarily dethroned a few years ago by Cathay Pacific’s improvised Hong Kong-to-New York route (keep reading to find out why), Singapore Airlines has again regained its crown for longest-distance commercial flight.

The A350-900ULR on this route uses 94 premium economy and 67 business class seats.

Hot Tip:

These incredibly long flights halfway around the world won’t pay for themselves! Before you pack your bags, think about what you’re packing in your wallet: Check out our guide to the best credit cards for travelers.

What Happened to Cathay Pacific?

Though Singapore Airlines has long ruled the roost of long-distance flights, it wasn’t on top from 2022 to early 2023. That’s when Cathay Pacific flew A350-1000s from New York City (JFK) to Hong Kong (HKG), listed at 10,326 miles for 17 hours and 50 minutes. Cathay Pacific pilots relied on strong but seasonal tailwinds to make the flight possible without consuming too much fuel.

Cathay Pacific chose this incredibly long flight path because of the Russia-Ukraine war. The short-lived route took planes over the Atlantic Ocean, over the U.K., through southern Europe, and over parts of Central Asia to avoid flying through Russian airspace.

Japan Airlines similarly did a temporary, much longer rerouting for flights from Tokyo to London for the same reason, going eastbound over the Pacific instead of westbound through Russia. Cathay Pacific has since returned to a more conventional flight plan over the Pacific with a shorter official flight distance of just over 8,000 miles.

Bottom Line:

Want to make the whole longest-flight-in-the-world debate even more confusing? Despite airlines’ listed flight distances for routes, pilots routinely take advantage of conditions like jet streams, which can shorten the flight time but increase the distance. So, though the official flight distance of SQ 24 is around 9,500 statute miles, in reality, it’s not unheard of for pilots on the route to actually cover more like 10,700 statute miles.)

Bottom line? Don’t take “official” records for longest flights too seriously.

2. Singapore (SIN) to Newark (EWR) on Singapore Airlines: 9,535 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 18 hours, 25 minutes
Flight number: SQ 22
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900ULR
Best business class redemption: 111,500 Singapore KrisFlyer miles one-way (transfer from Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy)

This flight crosses a seemingly impossible 10 time zones! Like most of these flights, the westbound flights (from Newark to Singapore) usually take about an hour longer to complete, even though the distance is the same. This is because of the prevailing winds on the route.

3. Doha (DOH) to Auckland (AKL) on Qatar Airways: 9,032 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 20 minutes
Flight number: QR 920
Aircraft: Airbus A350-1000
Best business class redemption: 140,000 Avios plus about $150 (transfer from The British Airways Club, Aer Lingus AerClub, Club Iberia Plus, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy)

Qatar resumed the longest nonstop route in its network on September 1, 2023, after putting it on hold for 3 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. For its return, the route now features Qatar’s newest plane, the Airbus A350-1000.

4. Perth (PER) to London (LHR) on Qantas: 9,009 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 35 minutes
Flight number: QF 9
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Best business class redemption: 85,000 American miles one-way (transfer from Citi ThankYou Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy)
Best first class redemption: 115,000 American miles one-way (transfer from Citi ThankYou Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy)

Originally launched in March 2018, this service became and still is the longest flight in the Qantas network. It was also the first regular nonstop flight between Australia and Europe, replacing some of the so-called kangaroo-hop services that existed previously.

5. Melbourne (MEL) to Dallas (DFW) on Qantas: 8,992 Miles

Scheduled Flight Time: 17 hours, 35 minutes
Flight number: QF 21
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Best business class redemption: 55,000 Alaska miles one-way (transfer from Marriott Bonvoy)
Best first class redemption: 70,000 Alaska miles one-way (transfer from Marriott Bonvoy)

Another Australian connection, Qantas’s Melbourne-to-Dallas service clocks in at just shy of 9,000 flown miles. First launched in December 2022, this flight was the first service connecting these two cities.

Hot Tip:

Qantas has plans to use the Airbus A350-1000 to fly two of the world’s longest routes, Sydney to New York and Sydney to London. Coded Project Sunrise, this service was initially scheduled to start in 2025 but has since been pushed back to at least 2027.

6. Perth (PER) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) on Qantas: 8,863 Miles

Scheduled Flight Time: 17 hours, 20 minutes
Flight number: QF 33
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Best business class redemption: 85,000 American miles one-way (transfer from Citi ThankYou Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy)
Best first class redemption: 115,000 American miles one-way (transfer from Citi ThankYou Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy)

Qantas relaunched nonstop flights between Perth and Paris in July 2024, marking its first direct link to France in about 20 years. The service established one of the longest nonstop commercial flights connecting Australia and continental Europe.

7. Auckland (AKL) to New York (JFK) on Qantas and Air New Zealand: 8,828 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 50 minutes
Flight number: NZ 2 / QF 3
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner
Best business class redemption: 120,000 ANA miles one-way for Air New Zealand (transfer from Amex Membership Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy) and 55,000 Alaska miles one-way (transfer from Marriott Bonvoy) for Qantas

This is the only flight on our list that is regularly served by two different airlines. The Air New Zealand flight was first introduced in 2022 and is among the longest nonstop flights flown by a Star Alliance member airline. Qantas (a member of the Oneworld alliance) also flies this connection from New Zealand to New York City.

8. Dubai (DXB) to Auckland (AKL) on Emirates: 8,824 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 10 minutes
Flight number: EK 448
Aircraft: Airbus A380-800
Best business class redemption: 85,000 Japan Airlines miles plus a large cash surcharge one-way (transfer from Marriott Bonvoy)

Emirates used to fly this route on the Boeing 777-200LR but is currently operating the larger, 2-level Airbus A380. It is among the longest scheduled flights ever operated by the Airbus A380, spanning almost 8,900 miles and regularly clocking in around 16 hours of airtime, making it a rare ultra‑long-haul flight for the world’s largest passenger aircraft.

9. Shenzhen (SZX) to Mexico City (MEX) on China Southern: 8,791 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 16 hours
Flight number: CZ 8031
Aircraft: Airbus A350‑900
Best business class redemption: 70,000 American miles one-way (transfer from Citi ThankYou Rewards or Marriott Bonvoy)

This China Southern flight is one of the few direct links connecting China and Latin America. One important thing to note is that the flight from Shenzhen to Mexico City is direct, but the return flight stops in Tijuana (TIJ) for operational reasons before continuing to Shenzhen. This makes it a rare case where the return leg differs from the outbound nonstop flight.

10. Singapore (SIN) to Los Angeles (LAX) on Singapore Airlines: 8,770 Miles

Scheduled flight time: 17 hours, 50 minutes
Flight number: SQ36, SQ38
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900ULR
Best business class redemption: 111,500 Singapore KrisFlyer miles one-way (transfer from Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy)

Another entry from Singapore Airlines on our list, this service is one of the longest scheduled flights between Southeast Asia and the U.S. West Coast. It’s also currently the longest flight in the world that is operated more than daily, with around 10 flights per week.

Mapping the Flights

We ranked flights by distance rather than flight time because flight time can vary significantly for many reasons. Please note that because flight times vary so widely from flight to flight, the actual time you spend in the air will likely differ from the listed time if you take one of these trips.

We listed flights by the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth’s surface, also known as the great circle distance. This can also differ from the actual distance flown for reasons including wind, severe weather, and the need to avoid closed airspace. 

Hot Tip:

Need trivia to throw out at your next AvGeek party? The record for the longest nonstop commercial flight in terms of time in the air is held by Qantas for its August 30, 1943, flight in a Consolidated PBY Catalina seaplane from what is now Sri Lanka to Australia.

It took 32 hours and 9 minutes to travel 3,512 statute miles. The route was nicknamed the Double Sunrise because it experienced 2 sunrises per flight — scheduled that way so that it flew through Japanese-occupied territory at night.

About the Aircraft

As planes become more fuel-efficient and fuel costs remain relatively low, we’ll continue to see big competition for a spot on the leaderboard for the longest nonstop flights in the world.

Boeing and Airbus continue to find new ways to increase the range and passenger capacity of their aircraft, allowing airlines to turn a profit from these ultra-long-haul flights.

These aircraft (currently) make up the roster for the longest nonstop flights in the world:

• Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner: Air New Zealand, Qantas, United
• Airbus A350-900: Singapore Airlines, China Southern
• Airbus A350-1000: Qatar Airways
• Airbus A380: Emirates

Final Thoughts

The competition for the top spot on the list of the longest nonstop flights in the world won’t end any time soon. The only question is: How will the airlines get there?

Within the past few years, we’ve seen the final flight of the last U.S. carrier-operated Boeing 747, once the hallmark of long-haul flights. In 2021, we saw several carriers announce plans to move away from the behemoth A380 to save on fuel and match current passenger demands. Moving forward, will airlines shy away from enormous jets in search of slimmer, more efficient aircraft? Or will the so-called superjumbos also evolve, eventually providing a more efficient and profitable means of carrying passengers around the world?

From a points perspective, we certainly hope jumbo jets make a comeback at some point. The optimized business and first class cabins of the more upscale carriers are every miles chaser’s dream.

Rewarding your hard-earned miles with 17 hours in business class on a 787-9 is unbeatable.