The world’s longest regularly scheduled commercial route is Singapore Airlines’ route from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The route is 8,288 nautical miles (15,349 km) by great-circle distance, and flight times routinely exceed 18 hours. Together with its slightly shorter sister route from SIN to Newark, Singapore Airlines’ New York services are by far the longest in the world, but this does not mean that they’re the longest commercial routes ever recorded.

While there have been multiple one-off flights that have set records in the past, they’re usually delivery flights, operated for testing purposes, or done for publicity. It’s rare for one of these ultra-long-haul one-offs to carry paying customers or revenue cargo, but this doesn’t mean that it’s never occurred.

6

Sydney – Toronto

8,397 nautical miles (15,551 km)

Credit: Kevin Hackert I Shutterstock

Commercial flights are typically thought of as passenger flights, but the term also includes cargo flights as well. There aren’t nearly as many long-haul cargo flights as passenger flights because freight operators prefer to maximize payload, but the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic saw many airlines operate weird flights.

One of these was on April 27, 2020, when Air Canada operated a flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) nonstop. Air Canada operated this flight using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, and although it did not carry any passengers, it did carry revenue cargo, making it one of the longest commercial flights ever operated by great-circle distance.

Many passenger airlines operated cargo-only flights using their airliners, although very few were as long as Air Canada’s nonstop service from Sydney to Toronto. The aircraft was significantly restricted on payload given the length of the flight, and this would have significantly reduced revenue as a result.

However, demand for air cargo capacity was significantly elevated during the depths of the pandemic due to the general reduction of belly freight capacity worldwide, while passenger airlines like Air Canada had little choice but to capitalize on this demand since passenger demand was nearly zero.

5

Papeete – Paris Charles de Gaulle

8,485 nautical miles (15,714 km).

Credit: Freddy Florent I Shutterstock

The SIN-JFK route is famous for being the world’s longest scheduled route today, but it’s not the longest regularly scheduled route to have ever operated. On March 15 and April 19, 2020, Air Tahiti Nui operated nonstop flights between Papeete Faa’a International Airport (PPT) and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), using the Boeing 787-9.

Not only is this the longest scheduled passenger flight ever operated, but it’s also the longest domestic route ever flown, as French Polynesia is a territory of France. Air Tahiti Nui previously operated this route with a stopover in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and continues to do so today, as the length of this flight meant that the airline could only fly the 787 at roughly half capacity with no cargo.

However, the COVID-related travel restrictions meant that the stop in LAX wasn’t possible, so the aircraft either needed to stop in an alternative location (which it did on westbound and some eastbound flights) or go nonstop. When winds were favorable, the aircraft went nonstop.

This route only lasted during the very depths of the pandemic, and it now runs as a one-stop again, still using the 787-9. It remains the record-holder for the longest scheduled passenger route of all time, and while Qantas’ planned Project Sunrise routes will be much longer than this service, it’s unlikely that the PPT-CDG route will ever be toppled as the world’s longest domestic flight.

4

Papeete – Paris Orly

8,492 nautical miles (15,728 km).

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

This is essentially the same route as Air Tahiti Nui’s services that were just mentioned. However, this route is slightly longer, as the French low-cost carrier French bee operated from PPT to Paris Orly Airport (ORY), which is slightly further away from PPT by great-circle distance.

Once again, this route was a COVID-era one-off, departing PPT on May 14, 2020 and never operating again. French bee formerly flew between ORY and PPT with a stopover in San Francisco International Airport (SFO), but this route was suspended during the pandemic. On May 12, however, French bee flew an Airbus A350-900 on a one-off flight from ORY to PPT with a stopover in Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport (PTP) to transport roughly 20 tons of medicine.

The aircraft then turned around and flew the returning flight to ORY nonstop with about five tons of cargo. French bee did not carry passengers on either segment, which means that Air Tahiti Nui’s PPT-CDG route remains the longest domestic passenger flight by great circle distance in history.

Meanwhile, French bee’s PPT-ORY flight is the longest domestic commercial flight in history, as revenue cargo was carried. Today, French bee does operate this route as a passenger service, and has brought back the stop in SFO as the A350 wouldn’t be able to fly this route nonstop with an economical payload.

3

Sydney – New York

8,634 nautical miles (15,991 km).

Credit: Joao Fachetti I Shutterstock

Whereas the prior three entrants were all related to COVID, this service operated almost ten years earlier. This one-off flight by Emirates SkyCargo in December 2010 saw the airline using a Boeing 777F (just under two years after the aircraft entered service) to fly nonstop from SYD to Stewart International Airport (SWF), located in upstate New York.

This specific flight was carrying a consignment of thoroughbred horses, and while the price to use the 777F for nearly 18 hours was undoubtedly astronomical, the horses were reportedly worth almost as much, if not more than the 777F itself. This was unusually valuable cargo, and it’s clear that they had to be transported quickly with no stopovers.

To date, this is the longest commercial flight that Emirates has ever operated, and it’s also the longest commercial flight ever operated to the US. In addition, this formerly held the record for being the longest cargo flight in history by great circle distance, although it was never the longest commercial route ever or even the longest commercial route using the Boeing 777.

2

Brussels – Melbourne

8,953 nautical miles (16,581 km).

Credit: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock

In March 2006, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was staying in Brussels to attend a European Union heads of government conference. Shortly after the conference, however, he was due to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and his schedule left too little time for a typical one-stop journey.

As such, his office had booked a Boeing 777-200ER operated by British Airways months in advance to take Blair and his entourage to Australia without stopping for added fuel. The flight departed Brussels Airport (BRU) on March 24, 2006, and continued to fly for nearly 19 hours until it finally arrived in Melbourne Airport (MEL).

Not only did the plane reach MEL without a fuel stop, but it did so with about 60 passengers, split between 40 members of Blair’s entourage and 20 journalists. This made it the longest nonstop flight with paying passengers by great-circle distance, although it was not a scheduled flight. Rather, it was a one-off charter (Air Tahiti Nui therefore still holds the record for the longest scheduled passenger route).

What’s particularly curious about this route is that it used a Boeing 777-200ER (configured in a four-class layout and equipped with Rolls-Royce engines). Although it was effectively the most capable aircraft in British Airways’ fleet (its 747-400s had about the same range), the 777-200ER’s range has been surpassed by many newer types in the industry. However, this record held for over 20 years until it was finally broken in August 2026.

1

Glasgow – Melbourne

9,172 nautical miles (16,986 km).

Credit: National Airlines

Summer 2026 saw Airbus testing its new A350-1000ULR, a specialized variant of the A350 being built specifically for Qantas’ Project Sunrise routes. The manufacturer sent the aircraft from its headquarters in Toulouse to MEL in late July, then it had the aircraft fly the other way around the world back to Toulouse, setting a record for the longest nonstop flight in history.

However, not even two weeks later, a Boeing 777F set a different record when it operated the longest commercial flight ever recorded. On August 4, 2026, National Airlines flew a 777F between Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) and MEL, a flight that lasted over 19 hours. This aircraft was chartered by Golden Aviation to deliver a thrust-reverser component for a grounded Boeing 787 operated by Jetstar.

D​​​​​ue to the time-sensitive nature of the job, the aircraft simply flew from General Electric’s facilities in Prestwick to the aircraft’s location at MEL. The route was also notable since it’s well beyond the brochure range of the 777F. However, brochure range is calculated using specific weather conditions along with a payload figure that the manufacturer deems typical for the plane’s intended mission.

The 777F is essentially a 777-200LR with no seats and a main deck cargo door, and the engine component was the only cargo onboard. As such, it easily operated this flight with no fuel stop required.