Singapore Airlines No Longer Holds Title for World’s Longest Flight

SINGAPORE- Xiamen Air (MF) has claimed the title for the longest nonstop passenger flight globally, surpassing Singapore Airlines (SQ). Their service connecting New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) to Fuzhou Changle International Airport (FOC) lasts 19 hours and 20 minutes.

This route, initially launched in 2017 and relaunched in 2024, earns its record-breaking duration partly by circumventing Russian airspace. According to industry sources, this flight time exceeds all other scheduled passenger flights around the world.

Xiamen Air Takes the Longest Flight Title

Singapore Airlines has held a strong position in the ultra-long-haul market with its routes between Singapore (SIN) and Newark (EWR) as well as New York JFK. However, Xiamen Air’s return to transpacific flights has significantly shifted the standings.

The JFK–Fuzhou route operates twice a week on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with the westbound journey taking an impressive 19 hours and 20 minutes.

Block time, which measures the time from departure to arrival, captures the total operational length of a flight, including taxiing. For comparison, Singapore Airlines’ Newark–Singapore service records 19 hours and 10 minutes, while the JFK–Singapore leg takes 18 hours and 55 minutes.

Other notable ultra-long-haul routes include Philippine Airlines’ JFK–Manila (MNL) at 18 hours and 20 minutes and Air New Zealand’s JFK–Auckland (AKL) at 18 hours and 10 minutes.

The extended flight time for Xiamen Air is largely due to geography and geopolitics, as the airline must navigate south of Russia due to ongoing regulations, increasing its overall flight duration.

In contrast, airlines like Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern still utilize Russian airspace, resulting in shorter flight times on similar routes.

The Route and Passenger Market Dynamics

Xiamen Air’s flights from JFK to Fuzhou are scheduled for Mondays and Fridays, departing New York at 12:55 and arriving in Fuzhou at 21:15 the next day.

The return flight leaves Fuzhou at 09:20 and reaches New York at 10:55 on the same day, with an eastbound duration of 14 hours and 35 minutes.

This route’s popularity is fueled by strong cultural and familial ties, with approximately 160,000 round-trip passengers traveling annually between Fuzhou and New York. This makes it one of the most trafficked China–U.S. routes, following flows from Shanghai (195,000 passengers) and Beijing (140,000).

In New York’s Chinatown, “Little Fuzhou” symbolizes the deep-rooted connections that sustain this airline service.

Evaluating the Competition in Ultra-Long-Haul Flights

Qantas (QF) remains a key player in the ultra-long-haul market, offering several lengthy routes such as Dallas–Melbourne (17 hours 40 minutes) and Perth–London Heathrow (17 hours 40 minutes).

United Airlines (UA) also flies long routes like Houston–Sydney (17 hours 35 minutes) and San Francisco–Singapore (17 hours 40 minutes). However, none of these exceed the remarkable 19-hour milestone established by Xiamen Air.

The JFK–Fuzhou route stands out not purely for distance but due to the added airspace restrictions extending its flight duration.

The Longest One-Stop Service on the Horizon

In addition to nonstop flights, China Eastern Airlines (MU) plans to introduce one of the longest one-stop services worldwide.

Beginning December 4, 2025, they will launch flights from Shanghai Pudong (PVG) to Buenos Aires (EZE) with a layover in Auckland (AKL). This will utilize a Boeing 777-300ER.

The return journey from Argentina to China could take up to 29 hours of block time, departing Buenos Aires at 02:00 and arriving in Shanghai at 18:00 the following day.