The New Longest Flight in the World Clocks in at 20 Hours Long

Qantas is debuting the new route in 2025.

Move over, Singapore Airlines—there's a new champion in the World's Longest Flight airline division.

Australian carrier Qantas is launching a new route in late 2025 and, as The Points Guy reports, it will become the world's longest nonstop one with a solid 20 hours of flight time. Departing from Australia's Sydney Airport and landing in London's Heathrow Airport in the UK, the ultra long-haul route will cover 10,576 miles aboard an Airbus 350-1000 jet.

Before Qantas came in to steal the show, the title of world's longest flight proudly belonged to Singapore Airlines. Since 2021, the carrier has worn the crown thanks to its direct flight connecting Singapore's Changi Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in the Big Apple and stretching over 9,532 miles.

However, Qantas was pursuing these plans well before then. The project, dubbed Project Sunrise, dates back to 2017, when the airline officially started working on the long-haul route. According to the BBC, the project was then delayed due to the pandemic, and it only now is reaching completion.

On such a long flight you might want to plan ahead and come prepared to actively pass the time. If you've flown long-distance before, you know there's only a limited number of movies you can watch before your eyes start hurting, so it is good practice to consider other ways to entertain yourself.

You might, for example, want to try and check out the world's longest audiobook. According to the official Guinness World Records Twitter account, the current holder of the title is an audiobook that is 146,444 minutes and 52 seconds long (roughly 2,441 hours), titled "Shree Haricharitramrut Sagar." To be fair, in order for you to finish the audiobook, you'd have to take this flight about 122 times. Some classics, though, are much shorter. You can, for example, listen to the narrated version of "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, one of the versions of which runs for 31 hours and 33 minutes, which will even cover part of your return flight.

Looking for more travel inspo?

If you're ready for an adventure but not sure where you'd like to go or what to do, we're on it. The best new hotels opening up around the world. The most Instagram-worthy Airbnbs. The latest details on our remarkable national parks. It's all here along with all the travel news you need to stay informed and inspired.

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.