What is the shortest flight from the United States to England?

The fastest recorded passenger flight from the US to England took just 4 hours and 56 minutes between New York and London.



As of 2026, the shortest flight from the United States to England is the route from Boston Logan (BOS) to London Heathrow (LHR). The flight distance is approximately 3,265 miles (5,254 km). Under normal conditions, the scheduled flight time is roughly 6 hours and 30 minutes, but in the winter months, powerful jet streams can push subsonic commercial jets to arrive in as little as 5 hours and 15 minutes. While there are technically shorter flights from the US to Europe (such as Boston to the Azores or Newark to Shannon, Ireland), the Boston-to-London corridor remains the quickest way to reach English soil. New York (JFK) to London is only slightly longer, usually taking about 15–20 minutes more than the Boston departure. This "Great Circle" route remains the gold standard for quick transatlantic travel.

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The shortest recorded time for a commercial flight is four hours 56 minutes by a British Airways 747 in June 2020. British Airways Boeing 747 set the record for the fastest flight between New York and London in under 5 hours. British Airways' flight broke the subsonic record.

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If you're looking for the shortest flight from the US to Europe, look no further than the route from New York to St. John's, Newfoundland. This unique flight offers a convenient and efficient way to travel between the two continents, with a flight time of around 90 minutes.

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The twice-weekly Air Canada service between London Heathrow and St John's, the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, is the flight with the shortest route across the Atlantic, stretching just 2,315 miles and taking under five hours.

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A list of short flights from the UK are:
  • Paris, France – 1 hour flight time. ...
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands – 1 hour flight time. ...
  • Brussels, Belgium – 1 hour flight time. ...
  • Dublin, Ireland – 1 hour flight time. ...
  • Barcelona, Spain – 2-hour flight time. ...
  • Lisbon, Portugal – 2-hour flight time. ...
  • Marrakech, Morocco – 3-hour flight time.


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Records. The fastest time for an airliner on the route is 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds, this was achieved on an eastbound JFK-LHR Concorde service on 7 February 1996. The current fastest subsonic passenger service on the route was achieved by British Airways on 9 February 2020 with a time of 4 hours 56 minutes.

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The plane traveled from New York to London in 4 hours, 56 minutes. British Airways Flight 112 made the trip from New York to London in 4 hours and 56 minutes.

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Key Takeaways
  • The late fall and winter months—from mid to late October through mid-to-late March—are often the cheapest time to fly to Europe (though fares can spike in December).
  • It's often cheaper to fly to Europe mid-week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in particular.


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The late fall and winter months—from mid to late October through mid-to-late March—are often the cheapest time to fly to Europe (though fares can spike in December). It's often cheaper to fly to Europe mid-week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, in particular.

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The reason for quicker flights while flying eastwards is jet streams. Put simply, these are fast-flowing, narrow air currents in the atmosphere found at high altitudes.

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Which airline can I book to travel between the US and the UK? You can fly direct between the UK and the US with American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Check out our flights from USA to UK guide to find out more.

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MIA/JFK TO CMN, ROYAL AIR MAROC This Royal Air Maroc flight from two key eastern USA hubs to Casablanca is the shortest direct flight from the USA to anywhere in Africa. In fact, the overnight routing means that it's possible to have dinner in the US and then start the next day with breakfast in Morocco.

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The fastest recorded passenger flight from the US to England took just 4 hours and 56 minutes between New York and London.

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The Loganair Westray to Papa Westray route is the shortest scheduled passenger flight in the world. Flights on the route are scheduled for one and a half minutes, and actual flying time is closer to one minute. The record for the fastest flight is 53 seconds.

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What is the longest flight in the world by distance? The longest flight in the world by distance is New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN) on Singapore Airlines clocking in at 9,537 miles. What plane can fly the farthest in the world?

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The closest – and cheapest – destinations where you'll get a suntan are the Canary Islands, Madeira and Morocco, all under four hours flying time from the UK.

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