SYDNEY – The distinction of operating world’s longest flight may not be retained by Singapore Airlines soon as an Australian airline plans to introduce the longest flight, surprising experts in aviation industry.
The longest flight in the world, which travels 15,340 km from JFK to Singapore Changi Airport, is now operated by Singapore Airlines, but Qantas is preparing to usurp the record.
In the latter half of 2025, the business intends to begin nonstop service between Sydney and London. The flight would take 20 hours to complete, travelling 17,020 km from Sydney Airport to Heathrow Airport.
The world’s longest flight has travelled 33% more miles since 1997, according to statistics gathered by global travel data firm OAG.
The majority of the longest flights have historically originated in the US, but when Qantas’ new route debuts, it will be one of the few ultra-long-haul flights that do not.
The world’s longest flight has been planned by Qantas as part of a programme named “Project Sunrise” since 2017, despite the fact that the announcement only become public. On its website, the company refers to the project as “the final frontier of aviation.”
Airbus A350-1000 aircraft operated by Qantas will reportedly transport up to 238 passengers across four travel classes, with about 40% of seats being in the luxury class.
In response to concerns about the impact of the flight on the environment, Qantas asserts that the aircraft would be carbon neutral and have 25% fewer CO2 emissions per seat.
Despite operating the longest trip in the world for many years, Singapore Airlines does not currently hold the record for the longest non-stop commercial flight. In March 2020, Air Tahiti Nui broke this record by flying directly from Tahiti to Paris instead of stopping in Los Angeles as usual due to Covid regulations. The flight covered 15,715 kilometres.
Other ultra-long-haul flights include Singapore to Newark (15,325 km), Perth to London (14,500 km), Melbourne to Dallas (14,471 km), and Auckland to New York (14,207 km).
