World's longest domestic flight

"Tetiaroa" (registered as F-OTOA), the Boeing 787-9 that operated Air Tahiti Nui's respective flight in March 2020.

F-HREY, the Airbus A350-900 that operated French Bee's respective flight in May 2020.

The world's longest domestic flight has been operated both by Air Tahiti Nui (longest commercial passenger flight) and French Bee (longest commercial cargo flight); French airlines based in French Polynesia and Metropolitan France respectively. The flight operated between Tahiti's Faa'a International Airport near Papeete to both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports serving Paris, with great-circle distances of 15,715 kilometres (9,765 mi; 8,485 nmi) to Charles de Gaulle and 15,728 kilometres (9,773 mi; 8,492 nmi) to Orly, taking approximately 16 to 17 hours. Air Tahiti Nui began the route on 15 March 2020, departing Faa'a International Airport at 3:14 am local time as flight TN64, flying nonstop to Charles de Gaulle Airport, and landing at 6:00 am local time on 16 March, taking 15 hours and 46 minutes.[3] The Boeing 787-9 operating the flight (registered F-OTOA)[4] was only partially filled with passengers.[5] TN64 continued to operate in April and its final flight was April 19, 2020.[6][2]

French Bee operated its own nonstop flight, without passengers, from Tahiti to Paris on 14 May 2020, departing Faa'a International Airport at 10:51 am local time, then landing at Orly Airport at 3:40 pm local time on 15 May, taking 16 hours and 49 minutes.[7] This commercial flight was not able to carry passengers in part as Orly Airport was closed to all commercial passenger traffic from March to June 2020.[8] The airline further claimed its Airbus A350-900 operating the flight (registered F-HREY) flew a ground distance of 16,129 kilometres (10,022 mi; 8,709 nmi), thus surpassing the distance of Air Tahiti Nui's flight.[9] It is considered a domestic flight as French Polynesia forms an integral part of the French Republic.[10]

Both French airlines developed this now non-stop route as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions imposed by the United States over international flights, starting on 11 March 2020.[1][11] Before the pandemic, the flight between Papeete and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris was operated by Air Tahiti Nui as well as Air France with an intermediate stop at Los Angeles International Airport, while the flight between Papeete and Orly Airport in Paris was operated by French Bee with an intermediate stop at San Francisco International Airport.[12][13] The airlines serving these routes also held traffic rights to transport passengers between either Paris or Papeete and the intermediate stop. Both the Boeing 787-9 used by Air Tahiti Nui and the Airbus A350-900 used by French Bee were claimed by their respective airlines to have greater fuel and energy efficiency compared to other similar or older long-haul widebody aircraft, while flying with a smaller payload to be able to achieve the long distance without stopping for additional fuel.[9][14]

Both French airlines as well as Air France have also pursued other stopping points to cover the long distance between French Polynesia and Metropolitan France, including stopping at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe,[15] as well as stopping at Vancouver International Airport in the Canadian province of British Columbia.[16] However, unlike the intermediate stops in the United States prior to the pandemic, the stop in Vancouver was solely for transit, as none of the airlines could discharge or take on additional passengers at the intermediate stop.[17][18] Prior to this record, the record for the longest commercial flight by great-circle distance was held by Singapore Airlines, when the airline flew their Singapore to Newark route at a distance of 15,343 kilometres (9,534 mi; 8,285 nmi).[19]