The continent of Europe is linked by direct flights to nearly every part of the world, with some routes extending as far as Australia and South America. These long-haul flights often exceed 7,000 nautical miles (NM), requiring travelers to prepare for extended travel times.
One such route is operated by Garuda Indonesia, connecting Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta with Amsterdam Schiphol over a distance of 6,130 NM. This twice-weekly service uses Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured in two cabin classes. “These aircraft have a high-density configuration, seating up to 393 passengers overall,” offering economy seats with a spacious pitch and well-rated onboard service.
KLM operates another long flight from Buenos Aires Ezeiza to Amsterdam Schiphol, covering 6,189 NM using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. This daily service provides three cabin classes. “Economy seats have a pitch of 31″, while in premium economy, this goes up to 36″ along with extra recline.”
Lufthansa offers its longest European route from Buenos Aires Ezeiza to Frankfurt at 6,197 NM using Boeing 747-8I aircraft. The plane accommodates eight first-class passengers and offers generous space in other classes. “Premium economy…offers a generous 38″ seat pitch and 19″ seat width.”
British Airways connects Santiago with London Heathrow over a distance of 6,280 NM using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in a premium-heavy configuration. The airline plans to increase the frequency of this route during the winter season.
Air France’s longest connection is also from Santiago but heads to Paris Charles de Gaulle over 6,292 NM using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The airline plans to introduce free Starlink internet access across all cabin classes starting this year.
Qantas features prominently on the list with three routes originating from Perth. The first is Perth-Rome Fiumicino at approximately 7,211 NM using Boeing 787-9s equipped for long-haul comfort.
The second Qantas route is Perth-Paris Charles de Gaulle spanning about 7,702 NM and lasting over 17 hours. Although currently lacking WiFi on these Dreamliner flights, Qantas has announced that free Viasat WiFi will be available early in the year.
Finally, Qantas’ Perth-London Heathrow route ranks as one of the world’s longest at approximately 7,829 NM and nearly eighteen hours in duration. “On this flight, the carrier provides two main meal services as well as snack and bar service runs,” enhancing passenger comfort during this extensive journey.
