QF63 distance and great-circle path
QF63 covers 11,025 km, or 6,850 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 47 by distance.
The plane leaves Sydney heading south-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 SYD-JNB route appears on a tracker map.
Why QF63 block time differs from cruise time
The schedule allows 14.2 hours from gate to gate. That works out to about 774 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 how timing changes the trip in our red-eye flight guide.
Can the Boeing 787-9 comfortably fly QF63?
Not really. It uses about 79% of the Boeing 787-9's range. That leaves room for a full load of passengers and bags. The full numbers are on our aircraft page for the Boeing 787-9.
What to know about QF63
- Time change: you land 9 hours behind the time you left. That is enough to cause jet lag. Here is how pilots handle it.
- High airport at the end: JNB sits 5,558 ft up, so the plane lands faster than it looks.