KE23 distance and great-circle path
KE23 covers 9,086 km, or 5,646 miles. That makes it an ultra-long-haul flight, near the limit of what most twinjets can fly non-stop. Of the 439 routes we track, it ranks 103 by distance.
The plane leaves Seoul heading north-east. 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 ICN-SFO route appears on a tracker map.
Why KE23 block time differs from cruise time
The schedule allows 10.4 hours from gate to gate. That works out to about 872 km/h. A Boeing 777-300ER cruises faster than that. The gap is taxi time, climbing, descending and holding.
Flying east, this route usually picks up tailwinds high up. The flight back west normally takes longer, even though the distance is identical. See how timing changes the trip in our red-eye flight guide.
Can the Boeing 777-300ER comfortably fly KE23?
Not really. It uses about 67% of the Boeing 777-300ER's range. That leaves room for a full load of passengers and bags. The full numbers are on our aircraft page for the Boeing 777-300ER.
What to know about KE23
- Time change: you land 16 hours behind 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.