Flight time calculator

Estimate great-circle distance, cruise time, airborne time, block time and destination arrival. Use airport presets or your own coordinates, then adjust speed, wind, routing and ground allowances.

Distance source

Known distance

Origin

Origin preset

Origin latitude

Origin longitude

Destination

Destination preset

Destination latitude

Destination longitude

Flight assumptions

Aircraft speed preset

Cruise true airspeed

Wind componentPositive is tailwind; negative is headwind, in the selected speed unit.

Route allowancePercent added for airways, weather or routing.

Climb and approach allowance (min)

Taxi and ground allowance (min)

Departure and arrival clock

Origin local departure

Origin UTC offsetUse the offset that applies on the departure date.

Destination UTC offset

Average fuel burn per block hour (optional)Use any consistent fuel unit.

Fuel price per unit (optional)

Currency symbol

Great-circle distance

Planned route distance

Estimated groundspeed

Cruise time

Airborne time

Block time

Destination arrival

Arrival UTC

Initial true bearing

Estimated fuel

Estimated fuel cost

Calendar change

Flight-time formulas

For coordinates, the calculator uses the haversine great-circle distance on a spherical Earth with mean radius 3,440.065 nautical miles. The initial bearing is measured clockwise from true north.

planned distance = great-circle distance × (1 + route allowance ÷ 100)

groundspeed = true airspeed + wind component

cruise time = planned distance ÷ groundspeed

airborne time = cruise time + climb/approach allowance

block time = airborne time + taxi/ground allowance

Checked examples

Scenario	Inputs	Expected result
JFK to LHR	Coordinates, 480 kt, +20 kt wind, 5% route	About 3,000 nm great-circle; block time near 7.5 hours with allowances
JFK to LAX	Coordinates, 450 kt, −40 kt wind	Headwind lowers groundspeed and increases time
Known 600 nm route	120 kt, no wind	5 hours cruise before allowances
Known 1,000 km route	500 km/h, no wind	2 hours cruise before allowances
Tailwind comparison	Same route and TAS, +50 versus 0 kt	Shorter cruise time with the tailwind
Overnight international flight	Different UTC offsets	Arrival date advances correctly across midnight

Planning limits: This is an arithmetic estimator, not an operational flight plan, dispatch release or navigation source. Actual time depends on filed routing, air traffic control, winds aloft, aircraft performance, climb and descent profiles, alternates, holds, weather, runway flow and delays. Preset coordinates are approximate airport reference points. Verify all operational figures with approved aviation sources.

Frequently asked questions

Why is this different from the airline’s scheduled duration?

Airline schedules include route-specific buffers and operational experience. This calculator starts from distance, speed and allowances supplied by you.

What does a negative wind component mean?

A negative value represents a headwind and is subtracted from true airspeed. A positive value represents a tailwind. This is a simplified along-track component, not a wind-triangle calculation.

What is block time?

Here, block time is estimated airborne time plus the taxi and ground allowance. It is broader than cruise time and depends heavily on airport operations.

Are UTC offsets automatic?

No. Enter the legal offset that applies at each location and date, including daylight-saving time. Numeric offsets cannot identify future rule changes.