SUMMARY

  •  Air China will operate the world’s longest non-stop scheduled passenger Boeing 747 flight by block time in 2024.
  •  It is from New York JFK back to Beijing Capital at 17h 10m.
  •  Despite being the longest by time, it only ranks fourth-longest globally by distance.

The world has a new, longest Boeing 747 service. As Air China is switching Beijing Capital to New York JFK back to the 365-seat 747-8 and again making the return non-stop, it becomes number one by block time. Presently, its East Coast US routes operate back to China via Los Angeles.

The world’s longest 747 flight

While presently operated by the 777-300ER, Beijing-JFK will revert to the 747-8 on January 1st, 2024. The 6,838-mile (11,004 km) route will continue to operate three times weekly but will again be non-stop in both directions, which is a significant development.

Air China Boeing 747-8
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

It is scheduled as follows, with all times local. The first JFK-Beijing service by the 747-8 will be on January 2nd. The screenshot below was taken from Air China’s website.

  • Beijing to JFK: CA981, 20:20-22:05 (14h 45m block time; same day arrival)
  • JFK to Beijing: CA982, 01:05-07:15+1 (17h 10m)
Air China 747-8 JFK
Image: Air China

Wow: 17h 10m

Block time includes taxi time at both airports, flight time, and time for short delays. At more than 17 hours, OAG and Cirium data analysis shows that it has become the world’s longest block of any 747-400 or 747-8 scheduled passenger route globally, based on the latest data for 2024 as of November 30th. As ever, things may change.

You might be wondering if it is an error. After all, examining pre-pandemic 747 schedules shows that it last had a non-stop block back to Beijing of no more than 14h 30m. Hmm?

An Air China Boeing 747 flying in the sky.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

However, on the few occasions the 747-8 served the route in 2023, most recently on October 28th, it had a non-stop block of 16h 30m. Flightradar24 indicates that the 747-8’s maximum flight time was 16h 38m (on October 1st). Add in winter winds, and 17h 10m looks reasonable.

The route, presently using the 777-300ER, switched from non-stop to via Los Angeles on October 30th, just after airlines in the Northern Hemisphere adopted winter schedules. The coming 17h 10m is certainly and obviously much better and more competitive than the present 23h via California.

But, it is fourth by distance

From January 2024 onwards, the world’s longest non-stop passenger 747 routes, regardless of frequency, aircraft variant, direction, seasonality, or otherwise, are as follows. I have stated the maximum block time irrespective of direction.

  • 7,152 miles (11,510 km): Seoul Incheon to Atlanta, Korean Air, 747-8 (max 15h 55m block)
  • 7,133 miles (11,479 km): Frankfurt to Buenos Aires, Lufthansa, 747-8 (13h 50m)
  • 6,906 miles (11,114 lm): Seoul Incheon to JFK, Korean Air, 747-8 (15h 45m)
  • 6,838 miles (11,004 km): JFK to Beijing, Air China, 747-8 (17h 10m)
  • 6,389 miles (10,281 km): Frankfurt-Singapore, Lufthansa, 747-8 (13h 15m)