Ultra-long-haul flight
Also: ULH, ultra-long-range flight, ULR, longest non-stop flights
A non-stop flight of exceptional length, usually more than 16 hours, which needs very long-range aircraft and augmented crews who take turns to rest.
What it is
There is no single definition, but the term usually applies from about 16 hours in the air. These routes combine an aircraft with enough range, a payload limited by the weight of the fuel and an augmented crew who rest in shifts in on-board bunks.
In 2018 Qantas opened the first scheduled non-stop link between Australia and Europe, Perth to London, which it has flown with a 787-9 in around 17 hours. Singapore Airlines has linked Singapore and New York non-stop, more than 15,000 kilometres apart, with the A350-900ULR, an ultra-long-range version of the A350, on flights of over 18 hours.
On these flights cabin humidity, lighting that mimics day and night and meal timings are all managed to reduce jet lag. For crews, the authorities require dedicated fatigue risk management plans.
On Vuelopedia
The technical data on Vuelopedia model pages include range and endurance, the figures that decide which routes a type can fly non-stop.
Related terms
Cite
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Ultra-long-haul flight. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight
MLA
“Ultra-long-haul flight.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Ultra-long-haul flight.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Ultra-long-haul flight. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_ultra_long_haul_flight,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Ultra-long-haul flight}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight}},
urldate = {2026-10-16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/ultra-long-haul-flight |title=Ultra-long-haul flight |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}