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Qantas and 
United Airlines boast some of the longest routes in the world flown by Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the world’s most state-of-the-art widebody jets. The ‘land down under’ dominates the list with Qantas claiming most of the slots on this top seven list, United Airlines clinched its share with some ultra-long-haul itineraries connecting North America and Asia. Cirium, an aviation analytics company, shows just which routes around the world truly push the 787 to its limits.
Flights between Australia and North America are the primary driver behind most of these exceptionally long-distance routes. The 787 has made it possible to serve corridors that were either never before connected or have not received regular service due to the rising cost of fuel. The Dreamliner’sexcellent efficiency, up to 25% better than legacy airframes. Furthermore, its cabin features, designed to decrease the fatigue from extended flights, have revitalized long-haul flying in recent years.
7
Dallas – Sydney
Over 15 hours
The round-trip flight times on the Qantas nonstop route between Sydney (SYD) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner differ significantly due to the prevailing high-altitude jet streams. As FlightAware shows, flyers departing Sydney will find themselves on the ground in Texas after around 15 hours and 30 minutes. Meanwhile, travelers leaving Dallas, outbound for Sydney, can expect a flight that will be in the air for just under 17 hours.
This flight plan is the rarest on our list, with only nine scheduled roundtrips this year, offering just over 2,100 seats on the 8,596-mile route. This service is also operated by the Airbus A380 daily, with the 787-9 being the rarer airframe used by Qantas to support traffic between these two hubs. Qantas is known for its high standard of service and ample catering for long-haul flyers, regardless of the plane that you ride on.
Qantas’ service on both the 787-9 Dreamliner and the A380 offers its latest long-haul products, with largely identical seats and amenities across all cabins. The 787 has a smaller passenger capacity, which often translates to a more intimate, personalized, and attentive service from the cabin crew. While the 787-9 is not quite as quiet as the A380, owing to the greater distance from the engines on the superjumbo, it does have more modern features inside for passengers to enjoy.
6
San Francisco – Singapore
Over 15 hours
The scheduled flight time for United Airlines’ nonstop flight from San Francisco International (SFO) to Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is over 16 hours. Meanwhile, the return flight from Singapore to San Francisco is faster due to prevailing tailwinds, typically taking around 15 hours and 30 minutes.
This itinerary covers 8,440 miles, and United offers 730 flights per year with over 180,000 seats available to flyers for booking. While other aircraft (like the A350-900ULR) can also fly this, the 787-9 enabled United to launch this as a standard long-haul route rather than a specialized service. It is one of the longest routes operated by any US airline.
United Polaris‘ business class is the airline’s flagship premium product with a 1-2-1 configuration and some of the finest amenities available in the sky. United Premium Plus, the premium economy cabin, is a very popular option as well, with a significantly better seating space and a very comfortable reclining chair, as well as much better in-flight service, compared to standard economy. Economy Plus offers up to 5 inches of extra legroom, which is highly recommended for a prolonged journey.
5
Houston – Sydney
Over 15 hours
United Airlines connects Houston (IAH) and Sydney with 787-9 Dreamliners on a transpacific air bridge that takes 17 hours to fly westbound, but around 15 hours and 30 minutes eastbound. This is one of the American carrier’s longest routes, covering approximately 8,587 miles. United schedules 154 roundtrips per year with nearly 40,000 seats available.
The 787 is specifically designed for long-haul flights like this one, as well as the others on this list, featuring cabin innovations to enhance comfort and reduce jet lag, such as higher humidity and dimmable windows. The cabin is also pressurized to a lower altitude (6,000 feet versus 8,000 feet on older planes) and maintains higher humidity levels, which helps prevent dry eyes and throats. The lighting system also mimics natural circadian rhythms to help your body adjust to the new time zone.
Two full hot meals are served, typically dinner after departure and breakfast before arrival, with mid-flight snacks and sandwiches available in the galleys. Every seat features a seatback touch-screen with a wide selection of movies, TV shows, and games. There are also USB ports and standard power outlets. High-speed internet is available for purchase throughout the flight.
Australia’s 10 Surprisingly Short Nonstop Boeing 787 Dreamliner Flights Ranked
The shortest 787 flight is a domestic connection of under 90 minutes.
4
New York – Auckland
Over 16 hours
Flying from Auckland (AKL) to New York (JFK) on the eastbound leg will have most travelers touching down in the ‘Big Apple’ after between 15 hours and 30 minutes and 16 hours and 15 minutes. However, the prevailing jet stream winds make the journey back from the United States longer, with the itinerary time averaging just over 17 hours. The 787 made nonstop flight possible on this route for the first time.
This 8,813-mile route is flown by Qantas 286 times per year with over 67,000 seats available. The three cabin classes available are separated into dedicated sections with different seating configurations. Business class is configured in a 1-2-1 layout with lie-flat seat beds that offer direct aisle access. Amenities include a large entertainment screen, power outlets, and high-quality bedding to help you sleep comfortably.
Premium economy is a 28-seat cabin configured in a 2-3-2 layout across four rows. This is a popular choice for those seeking extra comfort on the long journey as the seats are wider with more recline and a footrest. Arranged in a standard 3-3-3 configuration, economy class is not as spacious but still receives some of the best inflight service in the industry.
3
Paris – Perth
Over 17 hours
The third-longest flight by a 787 in the world forms an air bridge between Australia’s West Coast and the capital of France. The Qantas direct flight from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to Perth (PER) on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner has a scheduled flight time of 16 hours and 40 minutes. The return journey from Perth to Paris is slightly longer, at approximately 17 hours and 20 minutes.
Spanning 8,847 miles, Qantas offers 157 round-trip flights per year, which makes 37,000 seats available to travelers. This route was launched in 2024 specifically for the Olympics in Paris and proved popular enough to remain a permanent schedule. Before the 787, no aircraft could economically fly non-stop from Western Australia to mainland Europe.
Thanks to the composite construction of the Boeing 787, which is 80% by volume and 50% by weight, the jet is much more humid and comfortable, so you won’t wake up with dry eyes, a scratchy throat, or uncomfortable skin. This complements the lower cabin pressure, which improves blood oxygen absorption, significantly reducing headaches, dizziness, and post-flight fatigue.
Up To 18 Hours: The United States’ 5 Longest Boeing 787 Flights
The five longest Dreamliner flights from the US in July are all scheduled to fly to Australia and New Zealand.
2
Dallas – Melbourne
Over 17 hours
The trek from Melbourne (MEL) to Dallas/Fort Worth can get very close to 18 hours riding in a Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner. Connecting Australia’s Gold Coast to the ‘Lone Star State,’ this route is very popular for both business and leisure travelers year-round. The 8,973-mile corridor is served 183 times a year.
Launched in December 2022, the A380 could theoretically fly this distance, but it requires too much passenger demand to be profitable. The 787-9’s efficiency makes this thinner ultra-long-haul route economically viable for the first time. Qantas established the nonstop Melbourne to Dallas-Fort Worth route with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner primarily to bypass Los Angeles layovers.
Dallas is a massive base for Qantas’ primary US partner, American Airlines, and this hub offers connections to over 200 destinations across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. By offering a direct Melbourne-Dallas flight, Qantas significantly reduced overall travel time and provided a more seamless passenger experience, avoiding potential connection issues at busy airports like LAX.
Inside Qantas’ 5 Busiest Boeing 787 Dreamliner Routes
The Australian flag carrier’s 787s see a lot of use on North American routes.
1
London – Perth
Over 17 hours
The longest itinerary for a 787 in the world is the daily Qantas route between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Perth. According to FightAware, it is nearly 18 hours long and covers almost 9,000 miles from takeoff to touchdown. This route, launched in 2018, was the first-ever non-stop commercial flight between Australia and Europe.
Qantas has been reworking its international network thanks to the 787, as the airline sees a significant increase in customers seeking direct flights on long-haul to avoid stopovers, and this particular route is its long-range champion today. The carrier specifically configures its 787s with a lower passenger count (236 seats) to reduce weight and enable the aircraft to cover the distance while carrying enough fuel for the flight.
Establishing Perth as the Western Australian gateway to Europe allowed for seamless connections from Qantas domestic flights across Australia into the non-stop European services. Eliminating stopovers to the United Kingdom dramatically reduced total travel time, so establishing this nonstop route was a historical landmark for the airline and civil aviation as a whole.
