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Very few people enjoy having to transfer flights over the convenience of a non-stop service, but how far are you willing to go to avoid a transfer? Xiamen Air recently staked a claim to the world's longest non-stop flight. The twice-a-week service from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Fuzhou Changle International Airport in Fuzhou, China is 19 hours and 20 minutes long. The new record holder is only ten minutes longer than the previous mark, Singapore Airlines' service from Newark to Singapore.
The Xiamen Air service isn't exactly new. The JFK-to-Fuzhou flight was introduced in 2017, cut in 2020 and relaunched in 2024. However, it is now scheduled to last over 19 hours. According to Simple Flying, the avoidance of Russian airspace since the country's 2022 invasion of Ukraine is partly to blame. The 8,400-mile route would be 635 miles shorter if the Chinese carrier used a more direct great circle route. However, you wouldn't want to chance sending a plane over the Arctic from the United States towards Russia.
Airlines are planning new record-breaking routes
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Xiamen Air might only hold the record for a few years. Qantas announced Project Sunrise, its effort to launch non-stop flights linking Australia's East Coast with major cities in Europe and North America. The Australian flag carrier tested a 19-hour, 30-minute flight from JFK to Sydney with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in 2019. However, Qantas' plan is reliant on Airbus producing the planes needed for regular service. The same year, the airline placed an order for 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR. Yes, ULR as in ultra-long range. According to Skift, developmental delays and supply chain issues have pushed back delivery to late 2026. Qantas aims to launch its JFK-to-Sydney service in 2027.
While Qantas is expected to take the record, it might not due to how the record is generally determined. The scheduled block time is the accepted measure, not the average time of the flights flown. For example, Xiamen Air's flights from JFK to Fuzhou are roughly 17 hours long, far shorter than the scheduled time. Block time typically includes buffer time for potential delays and other unforeseen circumstances. Only time will tell if Qantas can claim this superlative in two years.
