Nearly a century and a quarter after the Wright brothers managed 120 feet, airlines are now routinely flying close to 19 hours without touching down. The longest nonstop routes between the US and Asia stretch beyond 9,500 miles, and 2026 has shaken up the list a little. Here's how the rankings look.
In top spot sits Singapore Airlines' SQ23 from New York JFK to Singapore, roughly 9,537 miles and the world's longest scheduled passenger route by great-circle distance. It's a daily Airbus A350-900ULR service scheduled at just under 19 hours, though real flight times average closer to 18. Flying over Europe, Central Asia and India, the flight lands in Singapore two calendar days after its late-night New York departure. Just behind it is the airline's sister route from Newark, about 9,534 miles — Singapore Airlines actually runs two near-identical giants from the same metro area. The Newark route has a second life story: it launched in 2004 with the thirsty A340-500, died in 2013, then returned in 2018 once the efficient A350-900ULR made the maths work. Notably, these aircraft carry no standard Economy cabin — just Business and Premium Economy — because fewer, premium passengers make ultra-long flights commercially viable.
Third place is Singapore Airlines' Los Angeles–Singapore route at around 8,770 miles, about 16 and a half hours on the same A350-900ULR. Depending on winds, flights swing west across the Pacific or north over the Aleutians and Japan. American Airlines has been rumoured to be eyeing its own LAX–Singapore nonstop, which would end Singapore Airlines' monopoly on the route.
Fourth is a route you currently can't book nonstop: Air India's San Francisco–Bengaluru service, the so-called Silicon Valley Express at roughly 8,700 miles. Despite strong demand between the two tech capitals, Air India suspended it from March 1, 2026, citing operating costs and airspace constraints — though United Airlines is rumoured to be considering nonstops from San Francisco to Delhi and Bengaluru.
Rounding out the list is Philippine Airlines' New York JFK–Manila flight, about 8,500 miles and around 17 hours 20 minutes on the carrier's A350-1000. Manila's international traffic grew nearly 7% in early 2026, and Philippine Airlines is responding — from December 2 it will bump the New York route from three to four weekly flights, alongside extra capacity to Vancouver and Toronto.
Why should travellers care? These routes mean no connection stress between the US and Asia's biggest cities — but they're a different kind of flying. On Singapore's A350ULRs you'll need to book Business or Premium Economy, and time-zone maths means some arrivals land two days after departure. Watch this space too: Qantas' Project Sunrise plans a Sydney–London nonstop of around 10,500 miles from October 2027, which would steal the crown entirely.
