The longest “domestic” flight ever flown was between Paris, France, and Papeete in French Polynesia.
Air Tahiti Nui has flown non-stop between the respective capitals of France and Tahiti – a distance totalling 9,765 miles. Now there is a stop at Vancouver, whereas previously passengers stopped in Los Angeles.
According to flightradar24.com, the route scoops the award for longest domestic flight ever operated.
However, the website reports it is not regularly scheduled and the non-stop flight was a quirk of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some might argue that technically the route is within the same country, given Tahiti is a French overseas territory.
Domestic flights where the mileage racks up considerably include the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Hawaiian islands. Honolulu to Boston is 5,095 miles; to New York is 4,983 miles and to Chicago, 4,243.
If you can class flights from Paris to overseas territories as “domestic”, then another long journey includes St Denis, Reunion in the Indian Ocean (5,809 miles), Cayenne, French Guiana (4,401) and Fort de France, Martinique (4,259).
The UK also has a considerable “domestic” flight. Although operated by the Ministry of Defence, passengers can book flights between RAF Brize Norton in Britain to Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands, with a refuelling stop on Ascension Island.
Ascension is a locally governing dependency of the British Crown, which would arguably make it count as a domestic flight.
RAF Brize Norton to Ascension is 4,182 miles with Ascension to Mount Pleasant covering 3,914 miles, making a total 8,096.
