Legendary Route · Orkney
The World’s Shortest Flight
The safety briefing can take longer than the flight. On Loganair’s service between Westray and Papa Westray, two islands in Orkney off the north coast of Scotland, the aircraft covers about 1.7 miles (2.7km). It’s scheduled for around a minute and a half. With a helpful wind, the wheels can be back on the ground in under a minute.
The record belongs to Loganair pilot Stuart Linklater, who once made the trip in 53 seconds. He flew the route more than 12,000 times before retiring in 2013, which may make him the most experienced pilot of the world’s shortest flight by a very long way.
Why fly 1.7 miles at all?
It sounds like a novelty, but the route exists for practical reasons. Westray and Papa Westray (locals call it “Papay”) are separated by a stretch of water, not a road. For a small island community, the aircraft links to the wider Orkney network, connecting onward to Kirkwall, the main town on Orkney’s largest island. Teachers, nurses, visitors and residents use it as an everyday connection.
The service began on 4 December 1967, after Papa Westray’s airstrip was extended. It’s been running in more or less the same form ever since.
The real numbers
The shortest flight, by numbers
1.7 mi
Distance
About 2.7km across the water
~1.5 min
Scheduled time
Usually about a minute in the air
53 sec
Record
Set by pilot Stuart Linklater
1967
First flown
Launched on 4 December 1967
The aircraft built for this
The flight uses a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, a small British-built aircraft with two piston engines and room for around eight passengers. It was designed for exactly this kind of flying: short, rough airstrips in remote places, often in wind and rain. Inside, there’s no aisle and no cabin crew. Passengers sit right behind the pilot and can watch everything happen through the windscreen.
Weather decides the exact time on any given day. Into a strong headwind, the flight takes noticeably longer. With the wind behind it, the Islander reaches the other runway before most passengers have finished looking out of the window.
A bucket-list trip
Today the route attracts aviation fans from around the world, who travel to Orkney just to say they’ve done it. But it remains, first and foremost, a working public service for a few hundred islanders. That combination, a world record that is also a bus route, is what makes it special.
Sources & Further Reading
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortest scheduled flight in the world?
Loganair’s flight between Westray and Papa Westray in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. It covers about 1.7 miles (2.7km).
How long does the flight take?
It is scheduled for about a minute and a half, and in practice the time in the air is usually closer to one minute, depending on the wind. The record is 53 seconds.
Who holds the record for the fastest flight?
Loganair pilot Stuart Linklater, who flew the route more than 12,000 times before he retired in 2013.
What aircraft is used?
A Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, a small, sturdy twin-engined aircraft that carries around eight passengers and can use very short runways.
When did the route start?
Loganair launched it on 4 December 1967, after Papa Westray’s airstrip was extended.