Prachi Patel

Air New Zealand operates some of the world’s longest scheduled nonstop commercial routes. The airline’s position in the South Pacific means many of its long-haul services cover ultra-long distances, with some scheduled to last up to 16 hours. Using aviation analytics provider Cirium, Simple Flying examined Air New Zealand’s longest scheduled routes between October 2026 and July 2027.

Delta Air Lines is one of the US “Big 3” airlines and has built a large international network over the years. The airline flies to more than 100 destinations across 65 countries on six continents. However, its international network has been changing. Delta has been dropping some thinner routes and reducing its presence on certain ultra-long-haul services as it adds more flights to leisure markets.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner family has become a staple of long-haul flying. The aircraft family consists of three variants: the 787-8, which is the shortest of the three, the longer-range 787-9, and the stretched 787-10, which offers the highest passenger capacity. More than 1,000 787s have been delivered to airlines around the world. The US planemaker launched the 787 program in 2004 as it looked to give airlines a more fuel-efficient option for long-distance flying.