Flight Time Calculator
Air time and gate-to-gate duration for any distance.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Gate-to-gate time
- 6 h 58 min
- Air time at cruise
- 6 h 23 min
- Ground speed
- 540 mph
- Distance in km
- 5,552 km
- Time saved by the wind
- 31 min
Quick answer
Flight time is distance ÷ cruise ground speed, plus roughly 30–40 minutes for taxi, climb, descent and approach on a typical jet flight.
Time = distance ÷ ground speed + fixed overhead
How to use the Flight Time Calculator
- 1Enter the great-circle distance of the route.
- 2Use 480–520 mph for a narrowbody jet, 550 mph for a widebody.
- 3Add a positive tailwind or negative headwind if you know it.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Route distance3450 mi
- Cruise ground speed500 mph
- Head (−) or tail (+) wind40 mph
- Taxi, climb and descent allowance35 min
Results
- Gate-to-gate time6 h 58 min
- Air time at cruise6 h 23 min
- Ground speed540 mph
- Distance in km5,552 km
- Time saved by the wind31 min
Frequently asked questions
Why is the eastbound flight faster?
The jet stream blows west to east, so eastbound flights ride a tailwind of 50–150 mph while westbound flights fight it.
Does the schedule include padding?
Yes — airlines pad published times by 10–20 minutes to protect on-time statistics, so scheduled duration is usually longer than the real flight.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.