The shortest flights in the world

If ultra long-haul flights shrink the world, these do the opposite. The shortest scheduled passenger flights on earth are over almost before they begin, and a few last less time than boarding did. Here are the tiny hops, and why anyone bothers.

The record holder

The famous shortest scheduled flight connects two of Scotland's Orkney Islands, Westray and Papa Westray. The scheduled time is about 90 seconds, and with a good tailwind it has been flown in under a minute. It exists because the alternative, a ferry, takes far longer, so a tiny plane is genuinely the fast option for islanders.

Other famous short hops

• Island connectors: many of the shortest flights link small islands where boats are slow and bridges do not exist, in places like Scotland, Greece, and the Caribbean.
• Mountain and remote routes: short flights also serve communities cut off by terrain, where a 10 or 15 minute hop replaces a long drive.
• City pairs very close together: a few busy business routes are surprisingly short, connecting cities less than 100 miles apart at high frequency.

Are they worth it?

For the traveler, a flight this short is mostly climb and descent with barely any cruise, so most of the scheduled time is taxiing and maneuvering. But for remote communities, these routes are a lifeline, not a novelty.

Compare any hop

Curious how short a route really is? Put the two airport codes into the FlightBeat calculator to see the distance and estimated time, even for the tiniest of hops.

Try the flight time calculator