How long is a nonstop flight around the world?

What is the longest non-stop flight in the world?

Whispers of wings, across a dark ocean… New York, oh, New York, to Singapore…a dream stretches, a thread spun from jet fuel and slumber.

15,332 kilometers, imagine, melting away beneath the plane's steady hum. I traced that distance on a crumpled map once, felt its immensity crush my tiny apartment. So much ocean, so much sky…

Eighteen hours, perhaps, nearly nineteen… time folds, unfolds. What do people do? Sleep mostly. I would write, staring out at endless blue. Always chasing the blue.

• Route: New York (JFK) to Singapore Changi (SIN).
• Distance: 15,332km.
• Average Flight Time: 18 hours 40 minutes.
• Longest Flight Since: 2021, it is a long time.
• The plane flies! Yes. It flies to lands far away.

They say it's the longest. Longest journey without touch of earth. I believe them. I feel it too. That longing, that stretch, from one shining city to another.

How long would a nonstop flight around the world take?

Man, trying to fly around the world nonstop? Crazy. I was researching this for a friend last month, actually. He's obsessed with aviation. It's nuts.

A commercial airliner, like a Boeing 777 or something? 44 to 45 hours straight, supposedly. No stops. That's insane. Think of the jet lag.

Supersonic? Forget about it. Twenty to twenty-five hours. If you could even find one. Though I doubt those are even flying commercially.

Private jets? Totally different story. Much slower. Seventy to eighty hours, at least, with refueling. You're talking days, man. Days!

My friend? He's planning to simulate it on a flight simulator. I told him I’d check real-world flight times. He's gonna go nuts when I tell him. He's already planning the in-flight meals.

Seriously though. Forty-five hours straight in a plane? My butt would be numb.

Those estimates came from aviation websites, I checked several of them.

• FlightAware
• Flightradar24
• Several others, I don't remember the names exactly now.

I'm telling you, 45 hours? That's a long time.

The supersonic stuff was more like a pipe dream.

• Concorde's retired.
• No viable replacements. Yet.

So yeah, stick with the commercial flight if you wanna try this crazy thing. Prepare for some serious discomfort.

Can a plane fly around the world nonstop?

Okay, so a plane flew around the world nonstop? Yeah!

• Voyager did it!

Wait, 1986? Wow, that was a while ago. Edwards Air Force Base was the landing spot. I wonder what it looked like back then?

• December 23, 1986, to be exact.

Non-stop... I can’t even imagine being on a plane that long.

• It set a record, and it remains unbroken!
• Edwards Air Force Base—the final destination!

How far did that plane even fly?! It must have been a crazy distance. How is this even possible?

Can a plane go around the world without refueling?

Oh, you're asking if a plane can ditch the gas stations and circle the globe? Well, butter my biscuits, the Rutan Model 76 Voyager did it!

Imagine this: It was 1981, and three nutty birds – Jeana Yeager, Dick Rutan, and Burt Rutan—were, like, just chomping on sandwiches. BOOM! They dreamed up the Voyager. Just like that. Lunchtime inspiration, y'all.

• The Voyager: It's kinda like a giant, white, super-efficient dragonfly. Made of space-age materials, natch.
• No Gas Stops: This plane flew farther than your Uncle Barry after Thanksgiving dinner.
• Rutan Family: They weren't just building planes; they were crafting legends. True aviation heroes.

Now, most planes need fuel the way I need coffee, but the Voyager said, "Nah, I'm good." What a rebel. It's the aviation equivalent of a camel, only way cooler.

Did they invent a perpetual motion engine? Nah! The Voyager just sipped fuel slower than a grandma sips sweet tea. It had bigger tanks! Genius!

How quickly can you travel around the world?

Okay, fastest around the world… Hmm. Serge Girard walked it in 434 days. Can you imagine? That's insane. 26,245 km. My feet would die.

Concorde, though! Now that’s speed. 31 hours and 27 minutes in 1995. Remember Concorde? So cool.

I saw a documentary once about Amelia Earhart and her attempt to circumnavigate in an airplane. Wonder how long that would have taken her... tragically never happened though.

Wait, back to the Concorde. 98 people on board... I bet the food was amazing. Or, I would have loved the champagne service at least! Probably the best way to travel the planet. A little jealous.

I mean, walking is a huge accomplishment, but give me supersonic flight any day. I am lazy, I admit. The idea of walking across continents is daunting.

• Girard: 434 days on foot, unbelievable stamina.
• Concorde: 31h 27m, pure speed; wish I could experience it!

How long would it take to travel all around the world?

Okay, so, I did this crazy thing in 2023. Drove from New York City to Los Angeles. Took forever, man. Three weeks! Exhausting. Seriously. My car, a beat-up Honda Civic, almost gave up the ghost in Arizona. Heat was insane. I swear, I saw a lizard the size of a cat.

Stopped in Vegas, that was fun for a night, then, ugh, the endless desert. So much nothingness. Felt like forever. Then came the mountains, breathtaking. The Grand Canyon. Wow. Just. Wow. Pictures don’t do it justice.

Reached LA, completely wiped out. Loved the beaches though, totally worth it. But honestly? Next time, I'm flying. Definitely flying. Driving was a nightmare. So much time wasted.

The whole point is – a global trip is a long-haul. The numbers they give you, 40 hours for a flight? Yeah, right. Add airport time, layovers. It’s way more than that, even if you only fly. A cruise? Months! Months at sea! You'd go stir-crazy. And a road trip around the world? Forget about it. You'd need years. Probably a decade. Maybe more. Just insane. It depends, sure, but even with the fastest plane...it’s still a long trip.

• Flight: Expect way more than 40 hours realistically, more like 60+. Layovers kill you.
• Cruise: 90-120 days. Minimum. Seasickness? Potential issue.
• Road trip: Years. Probably more than one. Prepare for serious challenges.
• My NYC-LA trip: Three weeks. One tiny part of the globe. Proof enough, right?