HONG KONG — Cathay Pacific is planning a course for the world's longest commercial flight to reroute its non-stop New York-Hong Kong flight to avoid Russian airspace.

The new route is expected to be 10,326 miles long, significantly more than Singapore Airlines' New York JFK-Singapore flight, which is actually the world's longest route by distance (9537 miles).

If implemented, Cathay's rerouted New York-Hong Kong flight would last up to 17 hours. Cathay Pacific's New York-Hong Kong service would leave from John F. Kennedy International Airport and cross the Atlantic, the UK, and Southern Europe before cruising over central Asia to reach Hong Kong Instead of crossing the Arctic and central Russia.


After Russia's military campaign against Ukraine, Western states imposed severe sanctions on Russia, including flight bans. The European Union closed its airspace to any plane owned, chartered or otherwise controlled by a Russian airline or third persons, which provoked Russia to answer the same way.

Many airline operators around the globe have already rerouted some of their flights to avoid Russian airspace.