The world's first commercial flight took off from St. Petersburg, Florida, on January 1, 1914, and landed 30 minutes later in Tampa, covering just 17 kilometers. More than a century later, advances in aircraft design and engine technology have made it possible for airlines to operate non-stop services spanning thousands of miles. Today, several carriers operate some of the world's longest flights, routes that stretch beyond 9,000 miles and often exceed 16 hours in duration.

Many of these ultra long haul services involve the United States and connect it directly with distant destinations across Asia and Oceania. Typically, such services rely on long-range aircraft, including the Airbus A350-900ULR and Boeing 777-200LR, though newer models like the A350-1000 and Boeing 787-9 have also proven capable of sustaining these operations efficiently and are being deployed on many of the long routes.

Singapore Airlines' New York-Singapore Route Is The Longest Route From The US

Unsurprisingly, the longest widebody route from the United States is Singapore Airlines' service between New York JFK and Singapore Changi. According to Cirium data, the flight covers nearly 9,500 miles, and it is the world's longest nonstop scheduled passenger flight. The airline deploys its Airbus A350-900ULR on the service, which is configured with 67 seats in business class and 94 in premium economy. There is no economy cabin, as the flight's length makes it difficult to operate profitably with standard seating.

The Star Alliance member operates a daily flight in each direction, with an average block time of around 19 hours and 15 minutes. This includes taxi time, airborne duration, and minor delays. The second-longest US route is also operated by Singapore Airlines, linking Newark Liberty International Airport with Singapore. This service uses the same aircraft type and layout, with nearly similar duration and distance.

The Longest Flights Beyond 8,000 Miles From The US

While only two routes from the United States currently exceed 9,000 miles, looking ahead, Australian flag carrier Qantas is preparing to launch new ultra-long-haul services through Project Sunrise. The airline plans to start with a nonstop flight from Sydney to New York, followed by additional service, such as Melbourne to New York. These will be operated using the Airbus A350-1000, with the first aircraft expected to join the fleet next year.

The Sydney-New York route is expected to cover nearly 9,900 miles (if we calculate by summing the typical flight distance between Sydney and Los Angeles, 7,488 miles, and Los Angeles to New York, 2,475 miles), which would make it the world's longest commercial flight once introduced. Among existing long-haul operations, several routes exceed 8,000 miles. One of the longest is Qantas' Dallas Fort Worth-Melbourne service, operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Widebody Routes Over 8,500 Miles From The US In October

Average Miles

Route

Airline

Total Flights (one-way)

Seats (one-way)

Equipment

9,487 miles

New York JFK-Singapore

Singapore Airlines

4,991

Airbus A350-900ULR

9,484 miles

Newark Liberty-Singapore

Singapore Airlines

4,991

Airbus A350-900ULR

8,973 miles

Dallas/Fort Worth-Melbourne

Qantas

4,248

Boeing 787-9

8,813 miles

New York JFK-Auckland

Air New Zealand

3,575

Boeing 787

8,813 miles

New York JFK-Auckland

Qantas

5,192

Boeing 787-9

8,758 miles

Los Angeles-Singapore

Singapore Airlines

11,385

Airbus A350-900

8,587 miles

Houston Intercontinental-Sydney

United Airlines

Seven

1,799

Boeing 787-9

8,569 miles

Dallas/Fort Worth-Sydney

Qantas

8,245

Airbus A380-800

8,569 miles

Dallas/Fort Worth-Sydney

Qantas

3,068

Boeing 787-9

8,513 miles

New York JFK-Manila

Philippines Airlines

4,130

Airbus A350

The route spans about 8,973 miles and runs four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Air New Zealand's New York JFK-Auckland service is another example, which covers roughly 8,813 miles. Qantas also flies the same city pair, but offers five weekly services compared to Air New Zealand's three. Furthermore, there are a few long-haul routes from the US operated by the Airbus A380 that exceed 8,000 miles.

For instance, Qantas' Dallas Fort Worth-Sydney service covers more than 8,500 miles. The airline restored double-decker operations on the route in August and now operates four weekly A380 flights alongside three Boeing 787-9 services. From January next year, Qantas plans to make it a daily A380 operation to accommodate peak summer travel to Australia. Meanwhile, Emirates continues to deploy its A380s on several long US routes, including Los Angeles-Dubai (8,334 miles), Houston-Dubai (8,165 miles), and San Francisco-Dubai (8,101 miles).

The Longest A350-1000 and 777-300ER Flights From The US

Besides, Qatar Airways operates the longest Airbus A350-1000 route from San Francisco to Doha, spanning approximately 8,301 miles. The Qatari flag carrier has served the US since 2007, and the A350-1000 made its debut on the route in June 2020. The airline uses its higher-premium 327-seat configuration, which features 46 Qsuites and 281 economy seats.

The Boeing 777-300ER also features prominently on several long transpacific and transatlantic routes from the United States. One of the longest is Cathay Pacific's New York JFK-Hong Kong service, which covers about 8,070 miles and operates daily. Emirates likewise relies on the type for some of its longest flights, including its Dallas/Fort Worth-Dubai service, which spans roughly 8,030 miles.

The Longest Widebody Routes From The US This Month