The 5 Longest Air Routes From Australia & New Zealand

Ultra-long-haul flights have come a long way in the past decade, especially flights from or to Australia and New Zealand. In 2010, Melbourne to Los Angeles was the longest-distance route from either country. That route was a nearly 13,000-kilometer (8,100 miles) journey operated by Qantas and Virgin Australia.

Fast forward to this year, the innovation and introductions of newer-generation, long-range aircraft have made it possible for more airlines to join in the ultra-long-haul fun and expand their networks further. Here are the top five longest air routes from Australia and New Zealand and a sneak peek of the future crown holders.

1. Auckland to Doha

While Qantas might have held the crown for operating the longest air route over a decade ago, the current top place goes to fellow oneworld alliance member Qatar Airways for its non-stop flight service from Auckland International Airport to Doha Hamad International Airport as QR 921 with a distance of 9,011 miles or 14,502 kilometers. Besides being one of the longest routes in the airline’s network, this is also among the top three longest air routes worldwide.

Although it is currently suspended and only scheduled to be re-introduced on September 1st this year, the airline uses the Airbus A350-1000, which has a maximum range of up to 16,100 kilometers (10,000 miles) for this almost 18-hour flight journey. When the route resumes, Qatar Airways will operate it daily to meet the growing demand for Auckland from the Middle Eastern and European markets.

2. Perth to London

In second place is Qantas with its non-stop flight QF9 service from Perth Airport to London Heathrow Airport with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Although this flight service is part of a longer route between Melbourne and London, the duration and non-stop distance covered between Perth and London is how this particular route made the list.

Covering a distance of about 8,988 miles or 14,465 kilometers between the two cities, the average flight time for this marathon route is about 16 hours and 40 minutes. This route between Perth and London is also hailed as Qantas’ longest flight to date and also marks the first regularly scheduled commercial non-stop flight linking Australia and Europe, a true testimony to how evolved ultra-long-haul air travel has become.

3. Melbourne to Dallas/Fort Worth

Following closely behind is another Qantas-operated non-stop route from Melbourne Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport as it clocks about 8,973 miles or 14,441 kilometers. Launched in December last year and with an average flight time of approximately 15 hours and 10 minutes, the flag carrier operates this route as QF 21 and uses the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

4. Auckland to New York

In fourth place is the non-stop flight service between Auckland Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport which is operated by Air New Zealand as NZ2 and Qantas as QF3. This route boasts a direct distance of about 8,813 miles or 14,183 kilometers, with an average outbound flight time of about 15 hours and 20 minutes, and is operated by both carriers’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner fleet.

After several years of planning, Air New Zealand was the first to launch this route and was basking in the limelight before Qantas entered the picture. Before the Auckland-New York route became a non-stop ultra-long-haul flight service, the Flying Kangaroo used to fly from Sydney to New York with a stopover in Los Angeles before switching to having the stopover in Auckland this year.

5. Auckland to Dubai

Finishing this list of the top five longest air routes from Australia and New Zealand is the highly popular non-stop flight service from Auckland Airport to Dubai International Airport. Operated as a daily flight service by none other than Emirates as EK 449 and with the Airbus A380, this route spans approximately 8,810 miles or 14,178 kilometers, with an average flying time of about 16 hours and 30 minutes.

Prior to establishing the Auckland-Dubai route as non-stop, Emirates served Auckland via Kuala Lumpur from Dubai exclusively, and this direct route was serviced with the airline’s Boeing 777-300ERs. Once the delinking and aircraft changes were made in December last year, this route became the longest route on the Emirates network, and it holds a similar title from Australia and worldwide – although the placings will differ.

While those were the top five with distances over 14,000 kilometers (8,000 miles) coming in at sixth place with quite a difference would have been the non-stop flight service between Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport and Houston’s George Bush International Airport, with a distance of 8,587 miles or 13,819 kilometers and operated by United Airlines with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

There’s also undoubtedly a pattern for the Boeing widebody for such routes from Australia and New Zealand, although the situation will evolve again once Qantas gets ahold of the Airbus A350-1000s. With those planes, the Flying Kangaroo will probably reclaim its top spot with non-stop flight services from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London – with the Sydney-London route spanning more than 16,000 kilometers.

BY CHARLOTTE SEET

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