17 hours in the air? World’s longest airline routes

By Miquel Ros, CNN
5 minute read
Updated 6:53 AM EDT, Mon September 18, 2017
Emirate's flight between Dubai and Auckland is the longest regular nonstop airline route in terms of time -- more than 16 hours.
Longest regular nonstop route —
Emirate's flight between Dubai and Auckland is the longest regular nonstop airline route in terms of time -- more than 16 hours.
PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images/FILE
Qatar's nonstop flight from Doha to Auckland will be the longest flight in the world when it begins in February 2017.
Longest international flight in near future —
Qatar's nonstop flight from Doha to Auckland will be the longest flight in the world when it begins in February 2017.
Qatar Airways
Air India's flight from Delhi to San Francisco stretches over 15,000 kilometers, making it the longest route in terms of distance.
Longest route in terms of distance —
Air India's flight from Delhi to San Francisco stretches over 15,000 kilometers, making it the longest route in terms of distance.
INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
La Réunion-based Air Austral is one of the airlines to operate the longest nonstop domestic airline route from Paris to La Réunion's Roland Garros Airport.
Longest nonstop domestic flight —
La Réunion-based Air Austral is one of the airlines to operate the longest nonstop domestic airline route from Paris to La Réunion's Roland Garros Airport.
RICHARD BOUHET/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Air France is the airline that runs the longest domestic flight with a stop -- from Paris to Papeete via Los Angeles. The route is operated on Air France's fleet of Boeing 777s.
Longest domestic flight with a stop —
Air France is the airline that runs the longest domestic flight with a stop -- from Paris to Papeete via Los Angeles. The route is operated on Air France's fleet of Boeing 777s.
FRED DUFOUR/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Both Rossiya Airlines and Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a mountainous getaway on the Pacific coast of Russia. The flight takes 8.5 hours and is the longest domestic flight over continuous territory.
Longest domestic flight over contiguous territory —
Both Rossiya Airlines and Aeroflot fly from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a mountainous getaway on the Pacific coast of Russia. The flight takes 8.5 hours and is the longest domestic flight over continuous territory.
TATYANA MAKEYEVA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
United Airlines' trans-Pacific island flight hops from Honolulu to the Marshall Islands to Micronesia before finally landing in Guam. The entire itinerary spans more than 14 hours.
Trans-Pacific island-hopper —
United Airlines' trans-Pacific island flight hops from Honolulu to the Marshall Islands to Micronesia before finally landing in Guam. The entire itinerary spans more than 14 hours.
Stephen Brashear/Getty Images North America/2015 Getty Images
The world's longest airline routes

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in December 2016.

Story highlights

Qantas announced it will launch a London-to-Perth flight in 2018

Air India's Delhi to San Francisco is the longest flight in terms of distance, but not time

Gulf carriers have just begun 17-hour flights from the Arabian Gulf to Auckland

CNN  — 

If you’re already finding long-haul flights to be at the limits of human endurance, then assume the brace position – some of the world’s longest flying legs are about to get even longer.

With aircraft design becoming more fuel-efficient – and time-starved passengers more demanding – the race is on to create commercial long-haul flights that span ever greater distances.

Qantas has confirmed that it will be launching a London-to-Perth leg when it receives its first Boeing 787 – also known as the Dreamliner. The 14,498-kilometer (9,008 miles) service, due to begin in March 2018, will be the first regular passenger flight to directly link Australia with Europe.

“When Qantas created the Kangaroo Route to London in 1947, it took four days and nine stops,” said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce in a statement. “Now it will take just 17 hours from Perth nonstop.”

In the meantime, other airlines are jostling for position to offer flights that cover the greatest distance in the shortest possible time. But even at full stretch, the world’s longest routes are already nudging 17 hours, making the world’s great “red-eye” flights even more fatiguing.

Following on from our feature on the world’s shortest airline routes, CNN is reaching for the melatonin, pulling down the eyeshades and dragging on the compression socks to bring you the world’s longest air routes.

READ: Flying from New York to London in 11 minutes

World’s longest air route

There is strong competition for this spot.

The Gulf carriers Emirates and Qatar Airways are locked in a struggle for their Dubai-Auckland and Doha-Auckland ultralong-haul flights.

In March, Emirates claimed the title of the world’s longest commercial flight, completing the 14,200 kilometers (8,824 miles) to the New Zealand city.

Qatar Airways announced plans to launch flights from Doha to Auckland later this year or early in 2017. This leg will just pip Emirates at 14,539 kilometers (9,034 miles).

READ: Emirates completes world’s longest nonstop flight

Longest regular nonstop route by time