How long is the shortest flight in the world? 80 seconds
Oct 5, 2017, 5:03 AM
Do you hate flying? Well, there’s one flight that even the most anxious of fliers will be sure to love.
The shortest nonstop flight in the world takes travelers between the islands of Westray and Papa Westray in the United Kingdom — in just 80 seconds.
Yes, that’s right — 80 seconds. A whole 20 seconds past a minute. The length of a television commercial break. In just 80 seconds, you can get from one island to the other.
How is this possible, you may ask? Well, the islands are just 1.7 miles apart. (We would recommend walking, but you’d have to cross some water.)
Most people use the same airline — and the same plane — to get from one place to the other.
The Scottish airline Loganair has been flying its inter-island route for the past 50 years, transporting travelers between the two archipelagos as an integral part of their daily commute.
Colin McAllister, the head pilot, said the flight reaches an altitude of 350 feet and the plane flies a maximum of about 150 mph.
The islands are actually a part of the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland. There are 70 islands in total, but only 20 are inhabited. On several of the islands, like Papa Westray, the population is less than 100.
Because there are so few people on the islands, it does not make financial sense to build infrastructure like bridges because they would not get enough use. The only other way to get around the islands is by ferry, which would take much longer.
