We encounter a new aircraft model almost every year.
Each new model raises the bar a little bit more on a subject.
The popular competition of recent years has been record-length flights.
Especially with the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350, new routes were opened between remote centers that had not been operated directly.
Currently flying Boeing 777-200LR has a range of 15,843 km (9,844 mi).
The upcoming Boeing 777X will have a range of 16,170 km (10,043 mi).
Airbus A350-900ULR is claimed to fly up to 15,843 km (9,700 mi).
So how long this competition will continue? Is there a certain limit?
Yes, there is.
The most distant from each other airports in the world are Malaga (LEMG/AGP) and Auckland (NZAA/AKL) according to Great Circle Mapper. They are 19,944 km (12,392 mi) apart from each other. Therefore, the longest flight ever possible can only occur between these two airports for now.
As of today, there is an additional 3,774 km (2,345 mi) range that can be the subject of competition in future passenger aircraft projects.
Is there an absolute limit? Absolutely yes!
It is the longest great circle, which is the half of equator circle itself.
According to NASA, Earth’s circumference is 40,070 km (24,897 mi), which have been measured by orbiting spacecraft. This reveals the longest distance possible to perform a flight on Earth as 20,035 km (12,448 mi).
If one day there is a direct flight from Malaga to Auckland, it will only take 91 km longer to brake this record.
After that, the range competition on Earth will be completely ended.
https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/passenger-aircraft/a350xwb-family/a350-900.html#xtra
https://www.boeing.com/commercial/777x/#/technical-specs
https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/features/cosmic/earth_info.html
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?DU=mi&P=AGP-AKL