Long-haul travel is by no means confined to transcontinental, international flights. While 83% of all US air traffic is domestic, according to the International Air Transport Association, that figure is far from just made up of short-haul flights. Indeed, passengers might find themselves traveling close to 5,000 miles (8,047 kilometers) without venturing outside the country and therefore not even needing to bring their passport.

Indeed, Hawaii’s position well off the mainland can make domestic travel within the US a hefty ordeal for passengers and airlines alike. Take the longest US domestic route, between New York JFK Airport (JFK) and Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), a whopping flight time of close to 12 hours sits well within the parameters of long-haul travel. So, what are the other longest domestic US flights you can take currently?

5

Detroit – Honolulu

4,475 miles / 7,202 kilometers

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Naturally, flights from the mainland to Hawaii account for all of the lengthiest domestic routes in the US. Sat 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) southwest of the contiguous United States, flights between Hawaii and fellow states spend vast swaths of time over the Pacific.

Teetering around the ten-hour mark and constituting around 4,475 miles (7,202 kilometers), the route between Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) and Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) sits as the fifth-longest domestic flight on offer within the United States. According to data from aviation analyst Cirium, a total of 30 flights each way are planned for the month of April. This means some 16,920 seats will be on offer for connections to and from Detroit Metro and Daniel K. Inouye over the course of the month.

Delta Air Lines serves as the exclusive carrier for nonstop flights between the two hubs currently. Daily flights were on offer as of late March, per tracking website FlightAware. These regularly featured the Airbus A330-300, which Delta typically operates with 282 seats in a four-class configuration.

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4

Atlanta – Honolulu

4,502 miles / 7,245 kilometers

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In fourth is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii’s largest and in Honolulu on the island of O’ahu, once again. A total of 30 flights will make the 4,502-mile (7,245-kilometer) crossing each way in April, offering 16,920 seats, based on the Cirium data.

All told, that amounts to a grand total of 76,173,840 available seat miles for the route to and from Hawaii and Atlanta’s primary hub. Again, few nonstop services were available as of late March, with the majority of options connecting through Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Seattle.

Delta Air Lines once more offered a daily direct flight, though, taking up to ten and a half hours to Hawaii and around eight and a half hours for the return journey. Airbus’ A330-300, once again, is Delta’s choice for the route, with the airline boasting 31 of the models within its fleet, according to Planespotters.net.

3

Washington – Honolulu

4,817 miles / 7,752 kilometers

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Moving further northeast, and the next longest domestic US route spans from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Daniel K. Inouye. Passengers will travel 4,817 miles (7,752 kilometers) between the two, Cirium’s data shows, over the course of a ten-hour and 46-minute flight towards Hawaii and nine and a half hours on the return leg.

Fewer flights are planned comparatively between the US capital and Hawaii’s primary airport through April. Just ten will journey west over the month, while nine are planned for the eastern journey. This leaves 4,389 seats on offer in total, or 21,141,813 available seat miles.

Top ten longest US domestic routes by distance, from Cirium data:

Like the routes mentioned above, few direct services are available between Washington and Honolulu. United Airlines offered the nonstop connection as of late March, with up to two a day listed on FlightAware. Towards Hawaii, these took in the region of ten hours and 40 minutes, with the return sitting around the nine-hour mark. Both the Boeing 767-300 and -400, of which United currently holds 37 and 16, respectively, feature regularly on the direct link.

2

New York – Honolulu

4,962 miles / 7,986 kilometers

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The runner-up for the longest US domestic flight sits just 21 miles shy of the top spot, with both linking New York and Honolulu. At 4,962 miles (7,986 kilometers) on average, per Cirium, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Daniel K. Inouye and vice versa claims second.

Just nine flights are set to venture east to Honolulu from Newark over the course of April, while ten will make the opposite journey. As such, approximately 4,389 seats will be on offer again, equating to 21,141,813 available seat miles, based on the regular use of Boeing 767-400s for the journey.

United Airlines is also the primary carrier on the Newark and Honolulu link, with flights appearing daily on FlightAware. According to the website, getting from Newark to Honolulu takes upwards of 11 hours. Returning then sits at about nine and a quarter hours in terms of flight time.

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1

New York – Honolulu

4,983 miles / 8,019 kilometers

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Just east in Queens, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) serves as one end of the longest domestic route in the United States – the other being Daniel K. Inouye, of course. In all, the journey covers 4,983 miles (8,019 kilometers). Per the Cirium data, a total of 120 flights, 60 each way, will connect the two in April.

Some 29,640 seats, 14,820 each way, will be available in total between New York’s main airport and Honolulu over the month, for a hefty 147,696,120 available seat miles. Flight times to Hawaii are close to 12 hours, but are closer to nine hours on the counter route.

Unlike the other longest domestic US routes, JFK to Daniel K. Inouye is served several times a day by multiple carriers. Both Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines regularly make the journey. Delta’s choice of jet for the longest domestic route within the country is from its fleet of 37 Boeing 767-300s. Hawaiian, meanwhile, uses the Airbus A330, which accounts for a large proportion of jets in its fleet. The carrier boasts a total of 24 -200 variants, flying a three-class configuration on these that allows for 278 seats.

Differing Hawaiian Destinations

Credit: Hawaii Aviation Archives

Just three domestic US routes in the top ten do not feature Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye. Of these, the connection between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta and Kahului Airport (OGG), again in Hawaii, is the longest. At 4,431 miles (7,131 kilometers), passengers can expect flights to last in the region of eight to ten and a half hours, depending on the direction of travel. A total of 12 flights each way are planned for April, equaling 6,768 seats, flown by Delta Air Lines.

Another Hawaiian airport, Ellison Onizuka Kona International (KOA), features in the list of the longest US domestic routes, this time through its link with Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Just four direct flights are planned for the 4,213-mile (6,780-kilometer) route between the two in April. These will be operated by United Airlines, taking roughly seven hours and 40 minutes each on the westbound leg.

Kahului to O’Hare is then the only other within the top ten not to feature Daniel K. Inouye. At 4,184 miles (6,733 kilometers), the connection takes around seven hours and 20 minutes to nine hours and 20 minutes. Served by United Airlines and its Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners regularly, approximately 13 flights are planned each way in April. That means 7,968 seats for a grand total of 33,338,112 available seat miles.