Summary
- The country’s 10 busiest airports have routes up to 10,013 nautical miles (18,545 km) each way.
- Denver has just gained its new longest service: Turkish Airlines from Istanbul.
- Houston’s number-one operation, from Singapore via Manchester, is the world’s longest scheduled passenger route (one-stop and non-stop combined).
Between June and December 2024, the USA’s 10 busiest airports by flights are Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Seattle, Houston Intercontinental, and Phoenix. Most are major airline hubs, while JFK is the country’s number one European gateway. They’re so dominant that two-thirds of the country’s scheduled airline passenger services involve them. Six of them are also in the world’s top 10 airports list.
![AA NAP start2](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/aa-nap-start2.jpeg)
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The following table details the scheduled passenger airport pairs that cover the most distance. Note these things:
- Denver’s longest route is Istanbul, which has just started; more information is below.
- Despite American Airlines launching Dallas/Fort Worth-Brisbane in late October, Melbourne covers the most ground.
- One-stop routes lead Los Angeles, New York JFK, and Houston Intercontinental.
- Houston’s number one airport pair is the world’s longest scheduled passenger route, covering even more distance than Air China’s recently reintroduced Beijing Capital-Madrid-São Paulo service.
Photo: Fasttailwind | Shutterstock
Please note the following caveats:
- The data is only for June-December.
- The distances are based on the Great Circle, with longer real-world operations, which may sometimes change the order.
- As always, things may change, especially later in the year.
Airport |
Longest route (non-stop or one-stop) |
Nautical miles (km) |
Comments (June-December) |
---|---|---|---|
Atlanta |
Johannesburg |
7,333 (13,581) |
Delta (daily A350-900) |
Chicago O’Hare |
Hong Kong |
6,773 (12,543) |
Cathay Pacific (five weekly A350-1000; daily A350-900 from November scheduled*** but not yet bookable) |
Dallas/Fort Worth |
Melbourne |
7,814 (14,472) |
Qantas (three weekly 787-9) |
Denver |
Istanbul |
5,326 (9,864) |
Turkish Airlines (three weekly A350-900**** but four weekly from July) |
Charlotte |
Rome Fiumicino |
4,182 (7,745) |
American (daily 777-200ER) |
Los Angeles |
Singapore (via Tokyo Narita)* |
7,625 (14,122) |
Singapore Airlines (daily 777-300ER) |
New York JFK |
Sydney (via Auckland)** |
8,840 (16,371) |
Qantas (four weekly 787-9) |
Seattle |
Singapore |
7,013 (12,988) |
Singapore Airlines (four weekly A350-900) |
Houston Intercontinental |
Singapore (via Manchester) |
10,013 (18,545) |
Singapore Airlines (five weekly A350-900) |
Phoenix |
Frankfurt |
4,899 (9,072) |
Condor (three weekly A330-900) |
* Slightly longer than the non-stop service ** Longer than JFK’s non-stop to Singapore, the world’s longest non-stop route |
*** Cathay has submitted it to Cirium **** 777-300ER used at the start |
Merhaba, Denver!
On June 11, Turkish Airlines finally began its 14th US route: from Istanbul to Denver. Despite being disclosed as a future destination in 2021, Turkish Airlines did not officially announce service to the Colorado city until April 2024. The first flight came barely two months later, meaning little lead time to increase awareness and bookings on the route between two Star Alliance hubs.
The first roundtrip deployed the 349-seat 777-300ER. The carrier often initially uses the 777 on brand-new long-haul routes to accommodate dignitaries, journalists, and others. The type will also be flown on June 13. After that, the route – now Denver’s longest – will exclusively use the 316-seat A350-900.
In 2023, Denver had approximately 245,000 passengers (336 passengers daily each way) who traveled to Turkish Airlines’ core geographic markets from the US: the Middle East, parts of Central and Eastern Europe, parts of Africa, Central Asia, and South Asia.
Photo: Denver International Airport
Tel Aviv, Kathmandu, Johannesburg, Dubai, Delhi, and Addis Ababa were the most popular origin-destinations. Turkish Airlines serves them all, although the war means that Tel Aviv flights remain suspended.
Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad do not fly to Denver. Interestingly, Ethiopian Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer told me in November that Denver will be a future destination in its network. We must wait to see if this materializes. If it does, Addis Ababa will become Denver’s longest route.
Have you flown any of the longest routes from each airport? Let us know in the comments section.