The world's shortest and longest scheduled flights, and how they compare
Commercial aviation holds two records that sit almost absurdly far apart: a nine-seat propeller hop across two minutes of Scottish coastline, and a non-stop crossing of ten time zones that keeps passengers airborne for the better part of a day. Both are scheduled, fare-paying passenger flights. Both hold genuine world records.
Ninety seconds, one island to the next
The world's shortest scheduled passenger flight connects Westray and Papa Westray, two small islands in Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. Operated by the regional carrier Loganair, the route covers just 2.73 kilometres (1.7 miles) — roughly the length of a single runway at a major international airport. The timetable allows 90 seconds for the crossing, though the aircraft, a single-pilot Britten-Norman Islander with room for eight passengers, has completed it in as little as 53 seconds with a following wind; most flights land closer to a full minute.
The service has run since 4 December 1967, after Papa Westray's runway was extended and its boundary walls cleared. It remains in scheduled operation today, largely as a public-service link giving island residents a fast, reliable connection to Westray's larger airfield and onward flights, rather than as a long-distance route in its own right.
The other extreme: 14,535 kilometres without landing
On 5 February 2017, Qatar Airways became the operator of the longest scheduled passenger flight then flying anywhere, launching a non-stop service between its Doha hub and Auckland, New Zealand. The route covers 14,535 kilometres (9,031 miles) and was scheduled at 17 hours 30 minutes outbound, with the return leg — flying against the prevailing jet stream — timed a little longer. Qatar flew the route with a Boeing 777-200LR, a variant built specifically for ultra-long-range service with a maximum range of about 17,395 kilometres, so Doha–Auckland used roughly five-sixths of the aircraft's full potential range. The launch took the title from Emirates' Dubai–Auckland service, which measured about 14,200 kilometres and became the new runner-up.
Why the two records sit so far apart
The records exist for opposite reasons. Westray–Papa Westray is short because geography made anything longer pointless — the islands are separated only by a narrow stretch of water, and the flight exists to save islanders a much longer ferry crossing rather than to go anywhere impressive. Doha–Auckland is long because, by 2017, aircraft manufacturers had finally built jets capable of connecting two cities on almost opposite sides of the globe without a fuel stop, and an airline was willing to bet that a market existed for flying it non-stop.
One flight barely clears the runway before it is time to land again; the other crosses ten time zones without ever touching the ground.
One route survives on a public-service subsidy and the practical need to move islanders and mail; the other survives on premium long-haul fares and an airline's ambition to hold a headline-grabbing title. Both, in their own way, are shaped entirely by what the aircraft and the geography allow.
What's changed since 2017
Doha–Auckland held the "world's longest flight" title for a little under 20 months. On 11 October 2018, Singapore Airlines reclaimed it by relaunching non-stop service between Singapore and Newark, New Jersey, using the ultra-long-range Airbus A350-900ULR. That route covers about 16,700 kilometres and is scheduled at roughly 18 hours 45 minutes — comfortably longer than Qatar's Auckland service, and still one of the longest scheduled flights operating today. Doha–Auckland itself has continued in various forms since, but the outright distance record moved on.
At the other end of the scale, nothing has come close to challenging Westray–Papa Westray. No other scheduled airline route anywhere flies a shorter distance, and Loganair continues to operate it as part of its wider Orkney inter-island network.
The numbers side by side
- Shortest: Westray → Papa Westray, Loganair — 2.73km, 90 seconds scheduled (fastest recorded: 53 seconds).
- Longest, as of 2017: Doha → Auckland, Qatar Airways — 14,535km, 17h30m, Boeing 777-200LR, launched 5 February 2017.
- The gap: the longest flight covers over 5,300 times the distance of the shortest, in about 700 times the scheduled duration.
- Current record holder (since October 2018): Singapore → Newark, Singapore Airlines — about 16,700km, roughly 18h45m, Airbus A350-900ULR.
Frequently asked questions
What is the world's shortest scheduled flight?
The Westray to Papa Westray route in Orkney, Scotland, operated by Loganair. It covers 2.73 kilometres and is timetabled at 90 seconds, though it has been flown in as little as 53 seconds.
How long does the Westray to Papa Westray flight actually take?
The timetable allows 90 seconds. Most flights take closer to a minute in practice, and the fastest recorded crossing, helped by a strong tailwind, was 53 seconds.
What was the world's longest scheduled flight in 2017?
Qatar Airways' non-stop Doha to Auckland service, launched on 5 February 2017. It covered 14,535 kilometres and was scheduled at 17 hours 30 minutes, flown with a Boeing 777-200LR.
Is Doha to Auckland still the longest flight in the world?
No. Qatar Airways held the record for about 20 months. Singapore Airlines took it back on 11 October 2018 with a relaunched non-stop Singapore to Newark service of about 16,700 kilometres, flown on an Airbus A350-900ULR.
Why is the Westray to Papa Westray flight so short?
It exists to connect two small Orkney islands separated by a narrow stretch of water. Flying replaced a much longer ferry crossing, and the route has operated since 1967 largely as a public-service link rather than a long-distance one.
- Loganair / Wikipedia — "Westray to Papa Westray flight" (2.73km distance, 90-second timetable, 53-second fastest crossing, service since 1967).
- CNN Travel — "What it's like to fly the world's shortest scheduled passenger flight."
- Qatar Airways — press release, "A historic moment for Qatar Airways as it launches the world's longest flight on new Auckland service" (5 February 2017).
- CNN Business — "Qatar Airways claims record for world's longest flight" (14,535km / 9,031 miles; Emirates Dubai–Auckland as prior record at ~14,200km).
- Singapore Airlines — press release, "Singapore Airlines to launch world's longest commercial flights" (2018; Singapore–Newark relaunch, Airbus A350-900ULR).