Originally published in Jetstream Magazine by Hadi Ahmad and Daniel Mena.

Technology continues to transform the way we live, work, and connect. Few industries embody this more than air travel, which has effectively shrunk the world in recent years. Journeys that would have once seemed impossible can now be completed in mere hours.

Here's a look at the World's Top 5 flights, ranked by distance. This list is updated as of October 2025.

5. Dallas/Fort Worth - Melbourne: Qantas

Qantas' route from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Melbourne comes in fifth. Qantas launched 787-9 service from DFW to Melbourne, Australia (MEL) on December 3, 2022. This route covers 8,992 miles (14,472 kilometers) and takes 15-17 hours, depending on the direction. As usual, the westbound flight (to Melbourne) is longer than the flight coming east.

Melbourne is the third destination that is served nonstop from Dallas. In addition to the Qantas flights serving Sydney and Melbourne, American Airlines recently began service to Auckland with 787-9s.

4. Perth - London: Qantas

Our next place-holder is another flight operated by Qantas. The world's fourth-longest flight is Qantas' nonstop link between Perth, Australia (PER) and London Heathrow, England (LHR). This flight operates as QF9 to London and QF10 back to Australia. It originates and terminates in Melbourne, so the aircraft flies from Melbourne to Perth first before continuing to England. The route is operated by the Boeing 787-9, a plane that has proven perfect for these ultra-long-haul voyages. Perth to London takes 9,009 miles (14,499 kilometers) and around 18 hours to traverse. 

When the route began on March 24, 2018, it was the first nonstop link between Australia and the United Kingdom. Previously, Qantas had served London from Sydney with a stopover in Dubai. This service was on its A380 and technically continues to operate. However, the stopover has since changed to Singapore.

3. Auckland - Doha: Qatar Airways

What was once the longest flight in the world has since dropped to third place. This is none other than Qatar Airways' flight between Auckland, New Zealand, and Doha, Qatar (DOH). Qatar Airways launched the route on February 6, 2017, with the Boeing 777-200LR. The route covers 9,032 miles (14,535 kilometers) and takes 15-17 hours. Qatar Airways has since upgraded the service to the Airbus A350-1000.

2. Newark - Singapore: Singapore Airlines

There was this one before Auckland to Doha became the world's longest flight (for a time). Singapore Airlines' nonstop service from Newark, New Jersey (EWR) to Singapore is second. This route has quite a history, so much so that it has its own Wikipedia article. It was launched on June 28, 2004, with the Airbus A340-500. These aircraft were specially configured with only Business Class and Premium Economy seats.

Singapore Airlines continued to fly its A340-500 on the route until November 23, 2013, when it announced the route would be suspended due to financial challenges. However, once Singapore Airlines became the launch customer of the Airbus A350ULR (Ultra Long Range), the resumption of Newark-Singapore service was imminent. As such, the beloved flight numbers SQ21 and SQ22 returned to the skies on October 11, 2018. The A350ULRs, like the A340-500s, also have only Business and Premium Economy seats.

The route was suspended again in 2020 due to the pandemic, but resumed on March 27, 2022, and has continued to operate ever since. As a fun fact, Singapore's seven A350ULRs carry the exact same registrations that the A340-500s once did. These registrations are 9V-SGA through 9V-SGG. Newark to Singapore covers 9,534 miles (15,344 kilometers), and the flights are 18 hours long. 

1. New York-JFK - Singapore: Singapore Airlines

The world's longest flight is New York Kennedy, New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN), operated by Singapore Airlines. This nonstop service beats the Newark-Singapore flight by just three miles. The route covers 9,537 miles (15,349 kilometers) and uses the A350ULR. Singapore Airlines launched this route on November 9, 2020. Previously, their only route to JFK was from Singapore via Frankfurt, Germany (FRA), which continues to operate on the Boeing 777-300ER.

The JFK route operates under flight numbers SQ23 and SQ24. It's interesting to see Singapore opting to serve both JFK and Newark nonstop since both airports are close. However, JFK is 21 miles away from Newark Airport. Therefore, despite the minimal distance, this gives JFK-SIN the edge over EWR-SIN as the world's longest flight.

Project Sunrise: Coming Soon

Qantas has long pushed the limits of ultra-long-haul travel, but its most ambitious undertaking is still on the horizon. Known as Project Sunrise, the initiative will finally make nonstop flights possible between Australia's east coast and major cities in Europe and North America.

After years of planning and delays due to the pandemic, Qantas formally launched Project Sunrise in 2022 with an order for a specially-configured fleet of Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft. These aircraft feature enhanced fuel capacity, improved aerodynamics, and a special interior designed to minimize passenger fatigue on their ultra-long-haul journeys. The first photos of this aircraft at Airbus's Toulouse production facility have already been released, with delivery expected in late 2026.

Inaugural routes for this aircraft are planned to operate from Sydney and Melbourne to London (LHR) and New York (JFK). These services will eclipse every flight currently in operation, setting new records for the world's longest flights. Sydney-London will span a staggering 10,573 miles (17,015 kilometers) on average, with the Melbourne-New York flight spanning 10,374 miles (16,695 kilometers).

To meet the wellness and comfort needs of passengers on long journeys such as these, Qantas's A350-1000ULRs will introduce several innovations. A dedicated "Wellbeing Zone" will be allocated for stretching, movement, and hydration. There will be higher cabin humidity and lower cabin altitude to reduce fatigue, along with enhanced business and first-class suites designed for long-duration rest. Finally, a premium-heavy seating configuration will reduce the number of passengers onboard, ultimately improving comfort and range.

If successful, Project Sunrise will usher in a new era of point-to-point travel and may redefine what passengers expect from the longest flights on Earth.