The world’s longest flights, tallest buildings, largest countries all make records, but it’s rare for the tiniest or the smallest to make a list. When we checked, we found that some flights are so short that it would appear that a road trip would be faster.
Let’s take a look at some of the world’s shortest international commercial flights, as per the global travel data provider OAG
Brazzaville, Congo to Kinshasa, DRC (Distance: 24km)
The shortest flight operates between Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo, to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a scheduled time of 50 minutes, passengers on this flight of just 24km will in reality have just buckled themselves in before preparing for landing. The flight operates seven times in a week. The Boeing 737-800 passenger is the preferred aircraft for this long travel route.
Read more: World’s 10 longest non-stop airline routes
St Martin (SFG), St Martin (French Part) to St Barthelemy (Distance: 31km)
Around 495 times shorter than the world’s longest flight, this 31km trip between two Caribbean islands goes five times a day, on average. The two locations are popular with tourists who move between islands for a change of scenery. The flight operates 37 times in a week. The Boeing Cessna 208B Caravan is the preferred aircraft for this long travel route.
Saba (SAB), Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba, to St Maarten (SXM), St Maarten (Dutch part) (Distance: 45km)
St Maarten/St Martin has two airports, one on the French side of the island – Grand Case-EspĂ©rance Airport (SFG) – and the airport featured in this third shortest international flight on the list – The Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side of the island. The flight operates 55 times in a week. The DeHavilland-Bombardier DHC6 T/Otter is the preferred aircraft for this route.
St Maarten (SXM), St Maarten (Dutch part) to St Eustatius (EUX), Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba (Distance: 61km)
Of the top 10 shortest commercial flights, this is the one with most frequency, at 56 flights per week. Six of the top 10 routes, like this one, operate in the Caribbean on inter island routes; two in Africa; one in the Middle East and one between the USA and the Bahamas. The DeHavilland-Bombardier DHC6 T/Otter is the preferred aircraft for this travel route.
Bonaire (BON), Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba to Curacao (CUR), Curacao (Distance: 74km)
This 25-minute flight between Bonaire and Curacao forms the B-C part of the ABC islands, where A stands for Aruba. The geographical order of the islands, from west to east, is A-C-B, with a distance of 125km between Aruba and Curacao, which makes that flight too long for inclusion on our list of the world’s shortest commercial flights. The flight operates 17 times in a week. Saab 340 is the preferred aircraft for this long travel route.
Kasane (BBK), Botswana to Victoria Falls (VFA), Zimbabwe (Distance 77km)
With 420 flights in the schedule and a route length of 77km each time, this flight will clock up 32,340km of travel this summer season. The world’s longest flight – New York JFK to Singapore Changi – will cover more than that in just three flights. You wouldn’t want to take the Singapore to New York flight in the six-seater Cessna, though. The flight operates 10 times in a week. Cessna Light Aircraft (single turboprop) is the preferred aircraft for this route.
St Vincent (SVD), St Vincent and the Grenadines to Carriacou (CRU), Grenada, Windward Islands (Distance: 79km)Â
Three of the routes on this list operate a once-a-day service, meaning day trips are possible between St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada. Similarly, for residents of Brazzaville, a quick trip to Kinshasa on the shortest international flight route is possible, and Dammam to Bahrain also operates on average once daily. The flight operates 14 times in a week. DeHavilland-Bombardier DHC6 T/Otter is the preferred aircraft for this travel route.
Dammam (DMM), Saudi Arabia to Bahrain (BAH), Bahrain (Distance: 87km)
This 40-minute flight is the only one in the list of the shortest international flights that operates in the Middle East, and the only one to use the Airbus A320neo, which can seat from 120 passengers. The flight operates 10 times in a week.
St Maarten (SXM), St Maarten (Dutch part) to St Kitts (SKB), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Leeward Islands (Distance: 90km)
The island of St Maarten/St Martin again makes its appearance on the list. Avid plane spotters and keen photographers will be familiar with Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), as Maho Beach is just a road’s width away from the end of the runway, which means that as flights come in to land the aircraft can appear to be extremely close to beachgoers’ heads. The flight operates 16 times in a week. DeHavilland-Bombardier DHC6 T/Otter is the preferred aircraft for this route.
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood Intl Apt (FLL), USA to Bimini North SPB (NSB), Bahamas (Distance: 95 km)
Bimini is the furthest-west island of the Bahamas and therefore the closest to mainland USA. The flight from Fort Lauderdale takes around 40 minutes, making it a popular trip for American visitors who travel to enjoy fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and night life.
While these shorter flights might not be as attention-grabbing as the world’s longest flights, they play an important role, connecting up more remote areas of the world to help keep important tourism economies going. The flight operates 17 times in a week. Cessna Light Aircraft (single turboprop) is the preferred aircraft for this travel route.
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