While widebody aircraft are typically deployed on medium to long-haul and high-capacity routes, they also serve on surprisingly short routes where demand, overall routing, and logistical needs justify their use.
Air France operates the world’s shortest widebody flight from Brazzaville to Kinshasa in Congo. Operated by a Boeing 777/Airbus A350, this 16-mile flight is also the shortest international flight.
This article covers the world’s top 10 shortest widebody flights in 2024.
Some of these shortest widebody flights including the British Airways flight between Antigua (ANU) and St. Kitts (SKB), and the Virgin Atlantic flight between Bridgetown (BGI) and St. Vincent (SVD) are fifth freedom flights, which can also be booked separately. However, some of them are direct flights, and the remaining are part of a triangular routing flight.
For instance, the Air France flight departs from Paris (CDG), stops in Brazzaville (BZV), continues to Kinshasa (FIH), and then returns to Paris (CDG). Such triangular routing flights can be advantageous as they allow airlines to serve multiple destinations efficiently on a single route, often maximizing passenger load and operational efficiency.
*Note that all routes are ranked by “great circle” distance and the flight times fluctuate throughout the year.
1. Brazzaville (BZV) – Kinshasa (FIH), Congo
Airlines: Air France
Flight Distance: 16 Miles
Average Flight Time: 12 to 15 Minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200/ER, Airbus A350-900
Route: Paris (CDG) – Brazzaville (BZV) – Kinshasa (FIH) – Paris (CDG)
2. Zanzibar (ZNZ) – Dar es Salaam (DAR), Tanzania
Airlines: Air Tanzania, Air France, KLM
Flight Distance: 45 Miles
Average Flight Time: 15 Minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200/ER, B787-8, B787-9
Route (Air France, KLM): Paris (CDG)/Amsterdam (AMS) – Zanzibar (ZNZ) – Dar es Salaam (DAR) – Paris (CDG)/Amsterdam (AMS)
3. Antigua (ANU) – St. Kitts (SKB), Antigua and Barbuda
Airlines: British Airways
Flight Distance: 62 Miles
Average Flight Time: 25 Minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777-200/ER
Route: London (LGW) – Antigua (ANU) – St. Kitts (SKB) – Antigua (ANU) – London (LGW)
4. Douala (DLA), Cameroon – Malabo (SSG), Equatorial Guinea
Airlines: Ethiopian Airlines
Flight Distance: 72 Miles
Average Flight Time: 20 Minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900, Boeing 787-8, B787-9
Route: Addis Ababa (ADD) – Douala (DLA) – Malabo (SSG) – Addis Ababa (ADD),
5. Guangzhou (CAN) – Hong Kong (HKG), China
Airlines: Cathay Pacific
Flight Distance: 84 Miles
Average Flight Time: 40 Minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
6. Ningbo (NGB) – Shanghai (PVG), China
Airlines: Shanghai Airlines
Flight Distance: 93 Miles
Average Flight Time: 40 Minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 787-9
7. Bridgetown (BGI) – St. Vincent (SVD), Barbados
Airlines: Virgin Atlantic
Flight Distance: 112 Miles
Average Flight Time: 30 Minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Route: London (LHR) – Bridgetown (BGI) – St. Vincent (SVD) – Bridgetown (BGI) – London (LHR),
8. Dhaka (DAC) – Sylhet (ZYL), Bangladesh
Airlines: Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Flight Distance: 121 Miles
Average Flight Time: 25 Minutes
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300/ER, Boeing 787-8, B787-9
Route: Dhaka (DAC) – Sylhet (ZYL) – London (LHR)/ Manchester (MAN) – Sylhet (ZYL) – Dhaka (DAC),
9. Guatemala City (GUA), Guatemala – San Salvador (SAL), El Salvador
Airlines: Iberia
Flight Distance: 126 Miles
Average Flight Time: 35 Minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A330-200
Route: Madrid (MAD) – Guatemala City (GUA) – San Salvador (SAL) – Madrid (MAD)
10. Milan-Malpensa (MXP), Italy – Zurich (ZRH), Switzerland
Airlines: Ethiopian Airlines
Flight Distance: 127 Miles
Average Flight Time: 35 Minutes
Aircraft: Airbus A350-900
Route: Addis Ababa (ADD) – Milan-Malpensa (MXP) – Zurich (ZRH) – Milan-Malpensa (MXP) – Addis Ababa (ADD)
The majority of these shortest widebody flights can be booked directly from the airline’s website. However, some of them aren’t bookable, as these are just a part of a triangular routing flight.
| Rank | Route | Airlines | Distance (miles) | Booking Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazzaville (BZV) – Kinshasa (FIH) | Air France | 16 | Not Bookable |
| 2 | Zanzibar (ZNZ) – Dar es Salaam (DAR) | Air Tanzania, Air France, KLM | 45 | Bookable with Air Tanzania |
| 3 | Antigua (ANU) – St. Kitts (SKB) | British Airways | 62 | Bookable |
| 4 | Douala (DLA) – Malabo (SSG) | Ethiopian Airlines | 72 | Bookable |
| 5 | Guangzhou (CAN) – Hong Kong (HKG) | Cathay Pacific | 84 | Bookable |
| 6 | Ningbo (NGB) – Shanghai (PVG) | Shanghai Airlines | 93 | Bookable |
| 7 | Bridgetown (BGI) – St. Vincent (SVD) | Virgin Atlantic | 112 | Bookable |
| 8 | Dhaka (DAC) – Sylhet (ZYL) | Biman Bangladesh Airlines | 121 | Bookable |
| 9 | Guatemala City (GUA) – San Salvador (SAL) | Iberia | 126 | Not Bookable |
| 10 | Milan-Malpensa (MXP) – Zurich (ZRH) | Ethiopian Airlines | 127 | Bookable |
Source: Cirium, GC Map, Flightradar24
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The post “Top 10 Shortest Widebody Flights in the World” by Sharad Ranabhat was published on 06/18/2024 by samchui.com