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For obvious reasons, the world's longest non-stop flights get much more attention than one-stop, same-plane, same-flight-number operations. Not so in this article, which shows several recent developments and other changes. There will be a new longest route later in 2025.
Then there's Turkish Airlines' planned service to Auckland via Singapore, which its Chairman says will begin this year (along with Minneapolis).
In time, the carrier hopes to use specifically configured Airbus A350-1000s to fly non-stop to New Zealand's largest city. It would be the world's longest non-stop service.
The world's longest one-stop flights
The following table shows them by distance and maximum block, or scheduled, time.
Only regularly scheduled services are included, not one-offs or time-limited operations.
This rules out Conviasa's very infrequent but highly intriguing Caracas-Moscow Vnukovo-Guangzhou A340-operated service, which Cirium Diio information suggests has only three roundtrip flights in January.
That means the world's longest one-stop link—which does not include simply changing planes en route—remains Singapore Airlines from its city-state to Star Alliance's Houston Intercontinental via Manchester.
This switched to flying via the UK rather than Moscow in 2016 following Russia's economic problems.
It had operated via the Russian capital since 2008 to capture energy-related traffic.
As the distances stated in the table are calculated including the stop, rather than simply between the origin and destination airports, some entries, such as between Paris CDG and Orly and Tahiti via the US West Coast, are not long enough to be included.
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Nautical miles
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Max block time*
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Route (one-stop, same-plane, same-flight-number services only)
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Comments
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10,013
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26h 15m
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Singapore to Houston via Manchester
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Singapore Airlines five weekly A350-900. Fifth freedom. Ends on March 30
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9,514
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25h 40m
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Nouméa to Paris CDG via Bangkok
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Aircalin twice-weekly A330neo. A domestic route. Began (from the Pacific) on December 11, 2024. Will become the new longest route by distance and time when Singapore Airlines to Houston ends. Has traffic rights between Bangkok and CDG
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9,494
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25h 05m
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Beijing Capital to São Paulo Guarulhos via Madrid
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Air China three weekly 787-9. Fifth freedom
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9,475
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25h 20m
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Sydney to Paris CDG via Perth
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Qantas, three weekly 787-9. The world's longest 787 service by max block time. Has traffic rights between Perth and CDG
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9,274
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25h 20m**
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London Heathrow to Sydney via Singapore
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British Airways, daily 787-9. Fifth freedom. Qantas, daily A380. Fifth freedom
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9,018
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23h 40m
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Beijing Capital to Havana via Madrid
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Air China, twice-weekly 787-9. Fifth freedom
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8,983
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23h 35m
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Sydney to Rome Fiumicino via Perth
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Qantas, three weekly 787-9; returns on June 14. Has traffic rights between Perth and Rome
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8,903
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24h 20m
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Singapore to New York JFK via Frankfurt
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Singapore Airlines, daily 777-300ER. Previously on the A380. Fifth freedom
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8,840
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23h 05m
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Sydney to New York JFK via Auckland
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Qantas, five weekly 787-9. Fifth freedom. Has traffic rights between Perth and Rome
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8,853
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23h 05m
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Toronto to Sydney via Vancouver
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Air Canada, daily 777-200LR. Has traffic rights between Vancouver and Sydney
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* Either direction ** 25h 20m with Qantas, 24h 05m with British Airways
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What about Turkish Airlines to Auckland?
The carrier's Chairman suggested flights may start in April or May 2025. This might happen: it began Istanbul-Singapore-Melbourne in March 2024.
In contrast, Istanbul-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney flights took off in November 2024 for summer Down Under. What happens with Auckland remains to be seen.
The start date doesn't matter here: it'll be after Singapore Airlines' last Houston flight has left.
This means that, at 9,228 nautical miles, Turkish Airlines' Auckland link via Singapore will become the world's fifth-longest one-stop operation.
