Flight Time Calculator
Estimate flight duration from distance and average aircraft cruise speed. Add headwind/tailwind for more accurate planning.
What is Flight Time Calculator?
The flight time calculator estimates how long a flight takes based on distance and aircraft cruise speed. For most commercial flights this comes very close to actual scheduled times.
Formula
Flight time = distance ÷ ground speed. Ground speed = airspeed + wind component (positive for tailwind, negative for headwind).
Worked example
JFK to LAX is ~2,475 mi. At 540 mph cruise with no wind: 2475/540 ≈ 4.6 h ≈ 4h 35m. Add 30 min for taxi/takeoff/landing → scheduled ~5h 5m.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the great-circle distance.
- Enter the cruise speed (typical jet: 500–550 mph).
- Add wind: + tailwind, − headwind.
- Add 30 min to the result for taxi and approach.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical jet cruise speed?
Boeing 737/Airbus A320: 510 mph. 757: 530 mph. 777/787: 560 mph. 747: 570 mph. A380: 580 mph. Regional jets (CRJ, ERJ): 460 mph.
Why are eastbound flights faster?
The jet stream — a fast-moving river of air at cruise altitude — flows west to east. Eastbound flights ride it (tailwind); westbound fight it.
Does this match scheduled times?
Approximately. Airlines pad schedules by 20–40 min for taxi, holding, and weather. The cruise calculation underestimates total gate-to-gate time.
Why is great-circle distance shorter than maps suggest?
The Earth is round; planes follow curved paths. Great-circle routes from the U.S. to Europe arc north toward Greenland — shorter than the straight line on a flat map.