Flight Time Calculator
Estimate flight duration from distance, average ground speed, and headwind. Useful for trip planning and connection timing.
What this calculates
Flight time depends on distance, cruise speed, and winds. A typical commercial jet cruises around 850 km/h (530 mph) ground speed, but headwinds and tailwinds shift that by 100+ km/h. This calculator estimates block time (gate-to-gate) by including taxi and climb/descent buffers.
Formula & how it works
Block time = (distance ÷ ground_speed) + buffer. Ground speed = cruise + tailwind (negative for headwind). Buffer ~30 min for taxi/climb/descent on short flights, 45-60 min on long-haul. Cruise: regional ~750 km/h, narrow-body ~850, wide-body ~900. Typical tailwind eastbound: +50-100 km/h. Headwind westbound: −50-100.
Worked example
London to New York (~5,600 km). Westbound (headwind) at 800 km/h: 5,600 ÷ 800 + 0.75 hr buffer = 7.75 hours. Eastbound (tailwind) at 950 km/h: 5,600 ÷ 950 + 0.75 = 6.65 hours. Real-world block: 7-8 hours westbound, 6-7 hours eastbound — matches.
Frequently asked questions
Why are westbound flights longer?
Jet stream. North-Atlantic jet stream typically flows west-to-east at 50-200 km/h. Going with it (eastbound) shortens trips; going against it adds an hour to a 6-hour flight.
What's 'block time'?
Total gate-to-gate time including taxi, climb, cruise, descent, and arrival taxi. Different from pure flight time. Schedules show block time.
Why is my actual flight always longer?
Schedules build in 10-15 % padding to maintain on-time rates. Airlines run a 'true' flight ahead of schedule and call it on-time. Real cruise might take 6 hours when the schedule says 7.
Does this work for private jets?
Math is the same, just different cruise speeds. Light jets ~750 km/h, midsize ~850, ultra-long-range like G650 ~950 km/h. Smaller airports = shorter taxi buffer.