OAG Travel News

I recently watched Spirit of the Marathon, a 2007 movie that followed the journeys of six people training for the 2005 Chicago Marathon.  It included inspirational stories of the ups and downs associated with training for one of the world’s most physically – and mentally – challenging activities.

I’ll admit that while I was moved by the sentiment of the movie, my first instinct was not to begin training for a marathon.  Instead, my thoughts turned to flights that might travel the length of a marathon – 26.2 miles (also 26.2 statute miles).  While this is clearly a long distance for a human to run, I wasn’t even sure there would be a flight of such a short distance.  So I decided to review the OAG Schedule Tapes to find the shortest flights for various locations around the world for the month of November 2008.

Africa
The shortest flight between two cities in Africa requires a border crossing.  Five statute miles and the Congo River separate Brazzaville (Congo) and Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo/Zaire).  Flights operated by two airlines – Benin Golf Air and Hewa Bora Airways – provide jet service on Boeing 727s and 737s across the river.

Canada
The shortest flight in Canada measures eight statute miles – the air distance between Fox Harbour (St. Lewis) and Mary’s Harbour, both situated in coastal Labrador.  Operated by Labrador Airways with 19-seat De Havilland Twin Otter aircraft, the service operates three times per week.  The two cities are separated by Mary’s Harbour, and the driving distance is nearly 40 miles on the Trans-Labrador Highway.

China
On my last trip to China, my itinerary required travel between Hong Kong and Guangzhou.  Unfortunately, there was no air service between the two cities, and the journey required a lengthy drive and a cumbersome border crossing.  Today, there is service operated by China Southern Airlines with Airbus A319 and Airbus A320 aircraft linking these two cities with a flight distance of 73 statute miles.  This route ranks as the shortest flight on an airplane in China.  One route by helicopter is shorter –
Macao-Shenzhen service operated by East Asia Airlines with a flight distance of 33 statute miles.

Mexico
The shortest scheduled commercial flight in Mexico is a rather long 117 statue miles.  Operated by Transportes Aeromar – a domestic Mexican airline – the flight links Mexico City with Queretaro on 48-seat ATR twin-turboprop aircraft.

Middle East
Syrian Arab Airlines operates the shortest flight in the Middle East between Damascus, Syria and Beirut, Lebanon.  The flight distance of 49 statue miles is covered in 50 minutes by an Airbus A320 aircraft.  The 54 statue miles between Manama, Bahrain and Damman, Saudi Arabia are covered in 40 minutes on Airbus A320 and Airbus A321 aircraft, and 45 minutes on Airbus A340 aircraft, all operated by Gulf Air.

United States
There are several routes in Alaska that measure a distance of only three statute miles.  These routes are located among the fjords of remote western Alaska – such as Clark’s Point to Ekuk, Kasigluk to Nunapitchuk, and Point Baker to Pt. Protection.  These services are operated by Grant Aviation, Frontier Flying Service and Taquan Air Services, respectively.  Not surprisingly, the next shortest U.S. route is in Hawaii – from Kalaupapa to Molokai – both on the island of Molokai.  Separated by a distance of only 10 statute miles, the service is operated by Pacific Wings on eight-seat Cessna aircraft.  In the continental U.S., US Helicopter’s service from New York’s JFK Airport to Manhattan is technically the shortest flight included in the schedule tapes – also 10 statute miles.  But since it is on a helicopter, I thought maybe it shouldn’t technically count – even if it is listed in the schedule tapes!  The next shortest route in the continental U.S. is between Block Island, Rhode Island and Westerly, Rhode Island – a flight distance of 15 statute miles.  The service is operated 12 times daily by New England Airlines with 10-seat Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander propeller aircraft.

Final Thoughts
The three-mile routes in Alaska are in fact the shortest flights in the world.  Four statue miles separate Dillons Bay and Ipota, both on the island of Erromango in Vanuatu in the South Pacific.  Air Vanuatu operates the 10-minute flight once per month on nine-seat Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander propeller aircraft.  And, as we learned earlier, five miles separate Brazzaville and Kinsasha.

Numerous flights around the world cover the 26.2 miles of a marathon – including service by Cape Air between Hyannis and Martha’s Vineyard – both in Massachusetts – and service by Air Marshall Islands between Woja and Jeh, both located on the Ailinglaplap Atoll.  Service by Alaska Airlines between Lewiston, Idaho and Pullman, Washington may be one of the only 26-mile flights that could also serve as the route for a future marathon!

Source: Official Airline Guide (OAG) Schedule Tapes for November 2008; Yahoo Maps.

Note: Regions as defined by OAG.

Story By: Laura Jackson.

OAG contributor Laura Jackson was just two weeks old when she took her first flight on Piedmont Airlines.  In junior high school, she developed a business plan for her own airline.  Today she manages strategy and policy issues at one of the world's busiest airports and provides original content and aviation industry analysis for OAG.