When Orville Wright made the first flight ever in 1903 in North Carolina, it lasted 12-seconds and covered 36m (120ft). Just three years later in 1906 Santos-Dumont set the first world record as recognized by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale by flying 220 m (720 ft) in 21.5 seconds.
Since then commercial flying has become run-of-the-mill, with non-stop long-haul flights becoming ever longer. There’s even a phrase for it -” ultra long haul” – a definition that refers to flights that last 12 hours or more.
Yet 12 hours does not seem so long anymore. In the last decade, flight times have been tipping over into 18 hours and more with record-breaking direct routes from Asia to the USA and Australia to Europe.
This is what the long-haul flight dashboard looks like:
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New York JFK to Singapore flight is operated by Singapore Airlines, flies 9,537 miles in 18 hours and 7 minutes.
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Newark Liberty to Singapore Changi Airport flight operated by Singapore Airlines, flies 9,484 miles long in 18 hours in 25 minutes
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Auckland to Doha flight operated by Qatar Airways, flies 9,032 miles in 16 hours and 30 minutes.
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London Heathrow to Perth flight operated by Qantas, flies 9,008 miles in 16 hours and 45 minutes and crosses 10 time zones on the way.
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Dallas Fort Worth to Melbourne flight operated by Qantas, flies 8,990 miles in 17 hours and 45 minutes.
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New York City to Auckland operated by Air New Zealand flies 8.828 , in 17 hours and 35 minutes
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Auckland to Dubai flight operated by Emirates flies 8824 miles in 17 hours and 12 minutes
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San Franciso to Bengaluru flight operated by Air India flies 8,702 miles in 17 hours and 55 minutes
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Houston to Sydney flight operated by United Airlines flies 8,596 miles in 17 hours and 30 minutes
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Dallas Fort Worth to Sydney flight operated by Qantas flies 8,578 miles in 17 hours and 15 minutes
So what next?
American Airlines has introduced a direct service on the Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Dallas to Brisbane, to take off on 27 October 2024. The route, between this vibrant Texan town and the Australian east coast, is likely to cover more than 8,000 miles, with an expected flight time of over 17 hours.
In 2025 Qantas is set to take the top spot with a hefty 10,573-mile route linking London Heathrow and Sydney without stopping. This will mean around 20 hours of non-stop flying.