AM57 distance and great-circle path
AM57 covers 11,253 km, or 6,992 miles. That makes it an ultra-long-haul flight, near the limit of what most twinjets can fly non-stop. Of the 255 routes we track, it ranks 37 by distance.
The plane leaves Mexico City heading north-west. On the map above, the line looks curved. That is normal. The shortest path over a round planet never looks straight on a flat screen. Our guide explains how the MEX–NRT route appears on a tracker map.
Why AM57 block time differs from cruise time
The schedule allows 14.2 hours from gate to gate. That works out to about 790 km/h. A Boeing 787-9 cruises faster than that. The gap is taxi time, climbing, descending and holding.
Flying west, this route pushes against the wind. The trip back east is usually shorter, even though the distance is the same. See why long flights take odd-looking routes.
What to know about AM57
- Time change: you land 15 hours ahead of the time you left. That is enough to cause jet lag. Here is how pilots handle it.
- Crosses the date line: the calendar date changes while you are in the air.
- High airport at the start: MEX sits 7,316 ft up. Thin air means a longer takeoff run.