Longest Flights From India in 2026: Routes, Distances and Aircraft

Indian and foreign airlines now link India with the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, and some of these flights cross half the planet. So which are the longest flights from India in 2026?

Short answer: Wikipedia lists Delhi to San Francisco as Air India’s longest flight, flown with the Boeing 777-300ER. Because it usually flies east across the Pacific to avoid headwinds, it covers about 15,110 km in the air, far more than its 12,382 km straight-line distance. Measured on the map, though, the longest routes from India are from Mumbai to Newark, New York and Toronto, each about 12,500 km.

Below we rank the longest routes, explain why distance on the map and distance flown are different, look at the record routes that have ended, and the ones that may come next. For the world’s longest flights, see our longest flights in the world list.

How We Measured

There are two ways to measure a flight. The great-circle distance is the shortest path between two airports over the curved Earth, and it is how airlines and record lists usually compare routes. The ground distance flown is what the aircraft actually covers, which is often longer because of winds, air-traffic routes and closed airspace.

For this list, we took the long-haul routes shown in the October 2026 destination lists on Wikipedia for Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports, and calculated each great-circle distance ourselves from airport coordinates published by OurAirports. Airline schedules change often, so always check the current timetable before you book.

The 10 Longest Routes From India (2026)

Routes: Wikipedia destination lists for Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru airports (October 2026). Distances: FlyingFuel great-circle calculation from OurAirports coordinates, rounded. The chart above shows Air India’s ten longest; the table includes Air Canada’s seasonal Montreal route.

Two things stand out. First, Air India dominates: it flies every one of the top routes except Montreal, and the foreign airlines on these routes are its partners and rivals from the US and Canada. Second, the longest routes all go to North America. Our Air India fleet guide covers the 777s, 787s and A350s that make them possible.

Delhi to San Francisco: The Longest in the Air

On the map, Delhi to San Francisco is about 12,382 km, and the shortest path crosses near the North Pole. But according to Wikipedia, Air India’s two Delhi to San Francisco flights, AI173 and AI183, usually fly eastward over the Pacific Ocean, a ground distance of about 15,110 km. They do this to avoid strong westerly headwinds, which saves almost two hours of flying time. Wikipedia also reports about 15,300 km on the first such flight in 2016, and says some flights have covered more than 16,000 km.

In other words, the aircraft deliberately flies about 2,700 km further, because riding with the winds is faster and cheaper than fighting them. That makes Delhi to San Francisco the longest flight from India by distance actually flown, and Wikipedia lists it as Air India’s longest flight, operated with the Boeing 777-300ER.

Singapore Airlines does something similar on the world’s longest flight, Singapore to New York, which typically flies around 17,250 km over the Pacific. If you are curious why aircraft cruise so high on these journeys, read why planes fly at 35,000 feet.

Mumbai to the US East Coast and Toronto

Measured in a straight line, Air India’s routes from Mumbai to Newark (about 12,546 km), New York JFK (about 12,532 km) and Toronto (about 12,494 km) are the longest from India. Mumbai lies further south and west than Delhi, which adds distance to North America. The destination lists do not say whether every flight is nonstop, and since Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft (see below), some westbound flights may need a stop, so check your booking.

Air Canada also links Mumbai and Toronto, but not nonstop: Wikipedia lists its AC 857 as a direct flight via London Heathrow, a total of about 12,944 km flown with a Boeing 787-8. A direct flight keeps the same flight number but makes a stop on the way, which is different from a nonstop flight.

Flights to Australia

India’s longest flights to the south are to Australia:

Routes: Wikipedia airport destination lists. Distances: FlyingFuel calculation from OurAirports coordinates.

Qantas began Bengaluru to Sydney flights in September 2022 with Airbus A330s, the first nonstop link between Bengaluru and Oceania, according to Wikipedia. Its listing shows the route resuming on 25 October 2026.

The Long Routes That Ended

India once had even longer flights. These routes no longer appear in the airports’ 2026 destination lists:

Sources: Wikipedia: Longest flights (discontinued routes, distances for Mumbai to Atlanta and Hyderabad to Chicago); Wikipedia: Kempegowda International Airport. Other distances: FlyingFuel calculation.

Bengaluru to San Francisco, at almost 14,000 km in a straight line, was the longest route ever flown from India. Our longest flights in the world guide explains what happened to it in 2026.

Why Some Flights From India Got Longer

Distance on the map is only part of the story. According to Wikipedia, on 24 April 2025, after the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian aircraft. Many flights from north and west India to Europe and North America used to cross Pakistan, so Indian airlines had to take longer routes around it. Longer routes mean more flying time and more fuel, and on the very longest flights they can force airlines to carry less or to add a stop.

Foreign airlines were also affected in the other direction: Wikipedia notes that airlines such as Lufthansa, KLM, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways rerouted some flights between Europe and Asia to avoid Pakistani airspace during the crisis.

IndiGo’s Longest Flights

India’s biggest airline flies mostly short and medium routes with single-aisle jets, but it is stretching further. In 2026 the destination lists show IndiGo flying from Mumbai and Delhi to Athens, London Heathrow, Manchester and, from Mumbai, Amsterdam and Nairobi. Its Athens flights use the long-range Airbus A321XLR, a single-aisle jet. See our IndiGo fleet guide for its aircraft.

Distances: FlyingFuel calculation from OurAirports coordinates.

Longer Flights That May Come Next

• Delhi to Dallas: Air India received approval from India’s DGCA in October 2024 for flight AI 109, about 13,173 km. It had not started by 2026, according to Wikipedia.
• Seattle to Bengaluru: American Airlines announced AA180/181 in February 2020, about 13,000 km, but the launch was delayed repeatedly and had not happened by 2026.

If Delhi to Dallas starts, it would become the longest current route from India by straight-line distance.

Which Aircraft Fly These Routes?

These flights need long-range twin-engine widebodies. Wikipedia names the Boeing 777-300ER for Air India’s Delhi to San Francisco route; read our 777-300ER review for how it flies so far. Air India also flies the Boeing 787-9 and the Airbus A350-900 on long-haul routes. Twin-engine jets can fly these routes far from diversion airports under ETOPS rules, part of the story of why twin-engine jets took over long-haul flying.

Tips for Flying an Ultra-Long Flight From India

• Pick your seat early: on an ultra-long flight, an aisle seat makes it easier to walk around, and a window seat is better for sleeping.
• Drink water and move: cabin air is dry, so drink water regularly and walk in the aisle when the seatbelt sign is off.
• Check the routing: flights to the US West Coast may cross the Pacific, so your flight time can differ in each direction.
• Look at the aircraft: newer types such as the 787 and A350 have lower cabin altitude and more humid air, which many passengers find less tiring.
• Nonstop vs direct: a “direct” flight can still stop on the way; check that your ticket says nonstop if that matters to you.

Key Takeaways

• Delhi to San Francisco is Air India’s longest flight, about 15,110 km flown over the Pacific.
• By straight-line distance, Mumbai to Newark, New York and Toronto are the longest current routes, at about 12,500 km.
• Air India flies nine of the ten longest routes in our table; United, American, Air Canada and Qantas fly some long routes from India too.
• Bengaluru to San Francisco, about 13,988 km, was the longest route ever flown from India.
• Pakistan’s closure of its airspace to Indian aircraft in April 2025 made many westbound flights longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of Air India Boeing 777-300ER VT-AEP at London Heathrow by Matt Taylor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.