You’re standing at a gate in Singapore’s Changi Airport. It is 12:10 PM. Outside the window sits an Airbus A350-900ULR, a machine designed specifically to defy geography. You board, you sit, and you wait. You’ll wait for 18 hours and 40 minutes. By the time you step off that plane at JFK in New York, you haven’t just traveled across the globe; you’ve basically lived an entire day of your life in a pressurized tube at 35,000 feet.
As of January 2026, Singapore Airlines flights SQ24 and SQ23 hold the undisputed crown. It is the longest flight in the world. We’re talking about 9,537 miles of non-stop travel. That is further than the distance from the Earth's surface to the edge of the exosphere.
But things are about to get even weirder for frequent flyers.
The Current King: Singapore Airlines (SIN to JFK)
Most people think "long" means a ten-hour hop across the Atlantic. That’s a nap compared to this. The Singapore to New York route is a logistical monster. To make it work, Singapore Airlines had to ditch the standard A350 and use the "Ultra Long Range" (ULR) variant.
Why? Because weight is the enemy of distance.
On this flight, there are no economy seats. None. Zero. If you want to fly the longest flight in the world, you’re either in Business Class or Premium Economy. The airline literally couldn't afford the weight of 300+ economy passengers and their bags. Instead, the plane is capped at 161 seats to ensure it has enough fuel to actually reach the United States without dropping into the ocean.
The Numbers That Matter
- Distance: Approximately 15,349 kilometers (9,537 miles).
- Time in Air: Usually between 18 hours 5 minutes and 18 hours 50 minutes.
- Fuel: The plane carries roughly 165,000 liters of jet fuel.
- The Route: Depending on the winds, the pilot might fly over the North Pole or take a more easterly path over the Pacific.
I've talked to people who have done this trip. They say the weirdest part isn't the boredom; it's the light. You lose all sense of time. Is it Tuesday? Is it Wednesday? Honestly, the crew is the only thing keeping you tethered to reality. They serve two full meals and a "refreshment," but you can basically order a sourdough sandwich or noodles at 3:00 AM while everyone else is asleep.
💡 You might also like: Where to Stay in Seoul: What Most People Get Wrong
The 22-Hour Giant: Project Sunrise is Coming
If you think 19 hours is bad, Australia says "hold my beer."
Qantas is currently deep into "Project Sunrise." This is the aviation industry’s holy grail: a direct flight from Sydney to London and Sydney to New York. We are talking about a 22-hour flight.
Right now, in early 2026, Qantas is already receiving its first specially modified Airbus A350-1000s. They’ve been testing these routes for years with "research flights" where scientists monitored the brains and bodies of passengers. They found that if you time the lighting and the spicy food just right, you can actually trick the human body into not feeling like a zombie upon arrival.
Why It’s Called Project Sunrise
The name isn't just marketing fluff. It’s a callback to Qantas' "Double Sunrise" flights during World War II. Back then, planes stayed in the air so long that passengers literally saw the sun rise twice before landing. On the upcoming Sydney-London route, that’s exactly what will happen again.
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson has been vocal about how this will "conquer the tyranny of distance." It’s a big gamble. To make a 22-hour flight tolerable, they are building a "Wellbeing Zone" in the middle of the plane. It’s basically a small gym where you can stand up and stretch so you don't get deep vein thrombosis.
The Top 5 Longest Flights Right Now (2026)
If you're looking to test your endurance, here is the current leaderboard of non-stop commercial aviation.
📖 Related: Red Bank Battlefield Park: Why This Small Jersey Bluff Actually Changed the Revolution
- Singapore (SIN) to New York (JFK) – Singapore Airlines | 9,537 miles
- Singapore (SIN) to Newark (EWR) – Singapore Airlines | 9,523 miles
- Doha (DOH) to Auckland (AKL) – Qatar Airways | 9,032 miles
- Perth (PER) to London (LHR) – Qantas | 9,010 miles
- Dallas (DFW) to Melbourne (MEL) – Qantas | 8,992 miles
Notice a pattern? It's all about connecting the Southern Hemisphere or Southeast Asia to the major hubs in the West.
What It Actually Feels Like to Fly for 19 Hours
Let’s be real. It’s kind of a mental game.
About 10 hours in, you hit a wall. You’ve watched three movies. You’ve eaten. You’ve scrolled through every song on the entertainment system. You look at the moving map, and you’re still over the middle of the Pacific. It’s daunting.
Experts like Dr. Tony Caccetta, who has studied ultra-long-haul health, suggest that the "dry air" is your biggest enemy. Planes are usually pressurized to about 6,000–8,000 feet, which is like being on a mountain. You dehydrate faster than you think.
Pro tip from a regular on the SQ24: Don't drink the booze. I know, a free glass of Champagne sounds great. But at hour 14, you will regret it. Your skin will feel like parchment, and your headache will be legendary. Stick to the herbal tea.
The Business of Ultra-Long-Haul
Why do airlines even do this? It’s expensive. It’s a logistical nightmare.
👉 See also: Why the Map of Colorado USA Is Way More Complicated Than a Simple Rectangle
The answer is simple: Time is money. Business travelers will pay a 20% premium to avoid a three-hour layover in Dubai or Los Angeles. Taking a direct flight means you arrive, go to your hotel, sleep, and hit a meeting the next morning. If you have a layover, you’re adding 5–8 hours to your total travel time.
However, these flights are "fragile." If the price of oil spikes, the longest flight in the world becomes a money pit. Because these planes carry so much fuel, they actually use a huge portion of that fuel just to carry the other fuel. It’s a diminishing return.
Survival Tips for the 15,000km Journey
If you find yourself booked on one of these marathons, do these three things:
- Reset your watch immediately. The moment you sit down, set your time to the destination's time zone. Live by that clock. If it’s 2:00 AM in New York, try to sleep, even if you just ate lunch in Singapore.
- Compression socks are mandatory. This isn't a "maybe." On an 18-hour flight, your ankles will swell.
- The "Two-Movie Rule." Watch two movies, then force yourself to walk the aisles for 15 minutes. It keeps the blood moving and breaks the "screen trance."
The longest flight in the world isn't just a trip; it’s a feat of engineering. Whether it's Singapore Airlines today or Qantas tomorrow, the world is getting smaller. Just make sure you bring a very, very good book.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your passport validity; ultra-long-haul destinations like Australia often require at least 6 months of remaining validity.
- If booking SQ24/23, use your KrisFlyer miles to upgrade to Business Class at least 4 months in advance, as Premium Economy on an 18-hour flight is still a test of patience.
- Invest in a high-quality pair of noise-canceling headphones (like Bose or Sony) because the hum of an A350 for 19 hours is a specific kind of white noise that can wear you down.