Over the years, improvements in aircraft design and engine efficiency have allowed airlines to operate routes that were once considered impractical. Today, some scheduled passenger routes stretch beyond 9,000 miles and regularly keep aircraft in the air for more than 15 hours in one direction.

These ultra-long-haul services have become a regular part of airline networks. Many of the world’s longest routes link the United States with distant markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and parts of the Middle East. American Airlines operates several of these long-distance services.

American Airlines’ Longest Routes By Distance For Q1 2026

The airline’s longest scheduled route for the first quarter of 2026 is Dallas/Fort Worth to Brisbane. The service covers around 8,299 miles (13,355 km) and has a scheduled flight time of approximately 15 hours and 44 minutes. American launched the route in October 2024; it is its first service to Queensland and its second destination in Australia after Sydney. The carrier operates the route once daily during the Northern Hemisphere winter (summer in Australia).

The airline’s second-longest route is its daily year-round service between Los Angeles and Sydney. The transpacific flight spans approximately 7,487 miles (12,049 km) and remains a core part of American’s long-haul network. Beyond Australia, several other ultra-long-haul services also rank among the airline’s longest routes, including flights to Auckland, Shanghai, and Delhi.

How American’s Longest Routes Compare To United And Delta

Indeed, American operates some very long international routes, but it does not fly the longest services among the US legacy carriers. Based on Cirium schedule data, United Airlines currently holds that position. Its longest route is Houston Intercontinental to Sydney, which spans approximately 8,587 miles (13,819 km). The airline launched the service in 2018 and operates it daily during the Northern Hemisphere winter.

United also flies the San Francisco–Singapore service, which is around 8,440 miles (13,583 km). This was the first nonstop service between the two cities and operates year-round. The airline has gradually expanded capacity on the route and now schedules two daily flights. Delta Air Lines’ longest international routes, meanwhile, are centered on Southern Africa. Its longest service is Atlanta to Johannesburg, which spans approximately 8,433 miles (13,572 km).

The carrier’s second-longest route is Atlanta to Cape Town at around 8,127 miles (13,079 km). Delta also operates other long-haul services to Australia, including flights to Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne from Los Angeles. Overall, United operates the longest routes among the US “Big Three.”

Australia Is Driving Growth In Ultra-Long-Haul Flying

Furthermore, long-haul demand across the Pacific has grown in recent years, particularly between the United States and Australia. The market recovered faster than many other long-haul regions after the pandemic and has continued to grow as capacity returned. Notably, in 2024, the United States became Australia’s third-largest international visitor market, with more than 711,000 short-term arrivals.

This growth has prompted US airlines to expand nonstop services to Australia. United, for instance, has significantly expanded its Australian footprint since 2022, following its alliance with Virgin Australia. It now operates services from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and also links Sydney with its Houston hub.

In addition, the airline also launched a new route in December, from San Francisco to Adelaide. Besides, in 2024, Delta Air Lines launched Los Angeles–Brisbane flights, and as previously mentioned, American launched flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Brisbane. Overall, according to scheduled data from Cirium, through March, the three airlines have scheduled around 1,027 one-way flights.