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In 2025, a typical scheduled passenger flight from the US to Europe will cover 3,704 nautical miles (6,860 km). That finding is based on examining every airline, route, and flight between January and October using Cirium Diio information.
The current shortest airport pair is Boston-Terceira, at just 1,998 nautical miles (3,700 km). It is served weekly year-round on Azores Airlines' A321neos. But what about the longest routes?
US-Europe: the 10 longest routes
The following table summarizes them. They primarily involve the periphery of Europe and the US West Coast. The leading market remains Turkish Airlines between Istanbul Airport and Los Angeles, which will have a record 17 weekly flights this peak summer. More on this later.
Given Air France's Nice-Los Angeles service only has one roundtrip this year, it seems a little unfair to include it at the expense of a regular operation.
Level's Barcelona-Los Angeles link would have made the cut if it had not been included.
Istanbul is on the European side of the Bosporus, so it is included. The information in the table is as of January 7 and may change.
The great circle is used for distances, and real-world operations could change the order. The max block times change the order somewhat.
|
Nautical miles
|
Max. block time*
|
Route
|
Airline
|
Comments (details may change)
|
|
5,953
|
14h 10m
|
Istanbul-Los Angeles
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Double daily through June (12 weekly in February), but record 17 weekly from July to October. 777-300ER/787-9/A350-900
|
|
5,826
|
14h 00m
|
Istanbul-San Francisco
|
Turkish Airlines
|
10 to 11 weekly, increasing to 12 weekly from June. A350-900/777-300ER/787-9
|
|
5,536
|
13h 35m
|
Istanbul-Houston Intercontinental
|
Turkish Airlines
|
10 weekly (daily in February). 787-9/777-300ER
|
|
5,521
|
13h 15m
|
Rome Fiumicino-Los Angeles
|
ITA Airways, Norse Atlantic
|
Norse begins in April (five weekly 787-9). ITA: returns in March, when it'll be five weekly. Rises to six weekly and then daily June-October. A350-900/A330neo
|
|
5,453
|
13h 20m
|
Istanbul-Dallas/Fort Worth
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Primarily nine weekly (daily in February), but 10 weekly from June. 787-9
|
|
5,443
|
13h 05m
|
Rome Fiumicino-San Francisco
|
ITA Airways, United
|
Both carriers began flights in May 2023. ITA: weekly in January, rising to three weekly and then daily June-September. United: returns on March 29; daily 777-200ER
|
|
5,332
|
12h 10m
|
Vienna-Los Angeles
|
Austrian
|
Returns on April 29; daily but four times weekly in September/October. 777-200ER
|
|
5,326
|
13h 10m
|
Istanbul-Denver
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Began in June 2024 and is Denver's longest route. Three/four weekly but daily from June. Aside from the 787-9 in February, it's all-A350-900
|
|
5,292
|
12h 00m
|
Nice-Los Angeles
|
Air France
|
May 12 to Los Angeles and May 26 back. For the Cannes Film Festival and Monaco F1 Grand Prix. A350-900
|
|
5,276
|
12h 45m
|
Istanbul-Seattle
|
Turkish Airlines
|
Began in May 2022. Mainly daily (five weekly in February) but record 10 weekly from June to October. A350-900/787-9
|
| |
* Either direction
|
|
|
|
Turkish Airlines to Los Angeles: 17 weekly
The Star Alliance member has served Los Angeles since March 2011. The US Department of Transportation data shows that it transported almost 3.2 million passengers until September 2024.
It has filed an average of 83% of seats. However, it was 86% in the first nine months of last year, pulled down by February (78%).
Hence, it is unsurprising that February will have its lowest frequency, reducing capacity and helping with loads, fares, and yields.
While Los Angeles flights have not previously been above double daily, they will jump to 17 weekly in July for the peak summer. The schedule is as follows, with all times local:
- Istanbul-Los Angeles: 08:00-11:45 (777-300ER/787-9; daily), 14:00-17:55 (777-300ER; daily), 18:35-22:20 (787-9; three times weekly)
- Los Angeles-Istanbul: 00:05-23:20 (787-9; three times weekly), 13:40-12:55+1 (777-300ER/787-9; daily), 19:50-19:05+1 (777-300ER; daily)
