Narrowbody aircraft are normally kept relegated on short to medium haul flights, ranging anywhere in times from 30 minutes up to about 6 hours. But some airlines push the limits of these aircraft and fly them long haul to their maximum capable range. Today we will take a look into some of those flights, and compare just how far airlines are willing to fly narrowbodies in 2024. 

What Is Long Haul?

A long haul flight is defined as a flight covering 2,600 nautical miles or more, which typically equates to about a minimum duration of 7 hours inflight. Surprisingly, the ratio of narrowbody to widebody on long-haul flights is a bit higher than one might believe, with one in fifteen long hauls being on narrowbody equipment.  

Also, the criteria for this classification is restricted to nonstop flights only, and any flights that require a fuel stop enroute are also excluded. While not used as the official calculator for flight classification, block time is also an important factor when looking at these flights, as it is the expected time from gate to gate for a given trip and represents the full duration of a given flight.