LoganAir's 53-Second Commercial Flight: Shortest in the World

How long was your last flight? 10 hours? 51 minutes? Nowadays, many commercial flights spend at least 1 hour in the air. 

Statistics say that the average U.S. regional flight covers a distance of 502 miles and takes approximately 1 hour. Add in the check-in process, security queues, and delays, and the average flight certainly takes more than an hour.

However, a particular flight in Scotland does not use 'hours' as its time unit. In fact, sometimes it doesn't even use 'minutes'. We are talking about 'SECONDS' here, as this flight was accomplished in a mere 53 seconds at some point. 

Let me introduce you to the shortest scheduled flight in the world, the Westray to Papa Westray flight in Scotland.

A Flight in the One-Minute Range
 

The flight we will be looking at today is operated by Loganair, a Scottish regional airline headquartered in Glasgow. Loganair is actually the largest regional airline in the U.K., by passenger and fleet size. It operates a handful of aircraft, from the ATR series to Twin Otters and ERJ-145s, along with two Britten-Norman Islanders. 

The Islanders are the aircraft that operate the short flight we will be discussing today. These Islanders also have an open cabin, meaning that passengers can see what the pilot is doing in their seats!

The Westray to Papa Westray flight connects the two islands in the Orkney Islands region in Scotland. Limited boat service between the two islands makes this flight crucial for local residents. As such, the flight is operated as a public service obligation to ensure passage for the island's residents. 

It started operating in 1967 by Loganair, setting the world record for the world's shortest scheduled flight, and still retains that title.

The distance between the two islands is 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers), and the average flight time is around a minute or two, depending on weather conditions. However, the shortest time recorded was less than a minute, 53 seconds. It was set by pilot Stuart Linklater, who flew the short flight more than 12,000 times before retiring in 2013.

This short hop is actually a part of a multi-destination itinerary that originates from Kirkwall Airport, located South of both islands. For example, Loganair sells tickets for the following segments for a Tuesday morning flight which includes the short hop:

Kirkwall - Westray - Papa Westray 09:30 ~ 09:54

And the returning flight to Kirkwall, which departs less than an hour later:

Papa Westray - North Ronaldsay- Kirkwall 10:52 ~ 11:26

Interestingly, these Orkney Island hoppers operate separately from the rest of Loganair's route network. This means that non-Orkney destinations (such as Edinburgh or London-Heathrow) cannot be added in addition to the island hopper fares. As such, these tickets must be purchased separately if you originate outside the Orkney Islands.

Destination

Both Westray and Papa Westray are famous destinations for archeological studies. One notable site is the Knap of Howar, potentially the oldest preserved stone house in northern Europe. There are 60 archeological sites in Papa Westray, and many students and teachers board the short flight to study the historical sites scattered on the islands.

Papa Westray is also an isolated island, so medical personnel also board the flights to assist patients on the island. Occasionally, residents board the flight to use medical facilities in Westray Island.

Booking

As mentioned above, these flights are the world's shortest scheduled flights. This means tickets are open for sale to everyone!

Since the actual flights originate from Kirkwall Airport, the typical traveler must first travel to Kirkwall. From Kirkwall, there are two options: board the flight as a normal passenger, or buy a sightseer ticket at the airport.

Let's look at the normal approach first. The tickets are available for sale on Loganair's website. From there, one should look for the first flight to Papa Westray with one stop. Although this stop is hidden from the booking screen, a friendly Loganair employee confirmed via email that this stop is indeed Westray.

After arriving at Papa Westray, there are two choices: fly out of the island on another Loganair flight to Kirkwall, or take the ferry to Kirkwall. Either way, you will end up back in Kirkwall, where you departed from!

The flight back to Kirkwall can also be booked using the Loganair website. The 10:52 flight stops at North Ronaldsay Airport before continuing to Kirkwall.

Each way costs £18, and the total round-trip ticket costs £36 per person if traveling by plane round-trip. These fares seem to be fixed, as they are priced at  £18 consistently throughout the calendar. The ferry, however, costs £2.95, which is significantly cheaper than the plane. It is definitely good value, as it takes only 25 minutes from harbor to harbor.

As mentioned above, flights originating from non-Orkney destinations such as Edinburgh must be purchased separately. Also, Orkney Island hopper flights are not eligible for earning or redeeming Clan points; the loyalty points for Loganair.

If you happen to be in Westray, the sole Westray—Papa Westray flight can also be booked. It costs £17.

The other method of flying this route is to purchase a sightseeing ticket at the airport. However, as this flight serves as a lifeline service for locals, this ticket cannot be purchased in advance, and must be purchased on the day of departure at Kirkwall Airport. 

The itinerary is as follows:

Kirkwall - Westray - Papa Westray - Kirkwall

The ticket can be purchased for £45 per person at the Orkney Interisland desk at Kirkwall Airport, subject to availability.

Bottom Line

The Westray to Papa Westray flight sure looks like fun to hop on. It might seem ironic that it is quite the journey to board the shortest flight in the world, but it should be worthwhile enough to get a lasting place in one's memory.