Minneapolis to Sydney (Mascot)
18h 26mgate to gate
The flight from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field (MSP) to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) covers 14,499 km (9,009 miles) and takes approximately 18h 26m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads west on an initial great-circle bearing of 259°, passing near 10.1° N, 158.1° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 259° west Midpoint 10.1° N, 158.1° W Model 805 km/h + 25 min
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
How this is worked out
- Take both airports' published coordinates from OurAirports — nothing here is scraped from another flight site.
- Great-circle distance by haversine on a mean earth radius of 6,371.0088 km: 14,499 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 18h 01m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 18h 26m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
14,499 km / 805 km/h = 18h 01m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 18h 26m gate to gate
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
The same route, plotted on a world grid
The strip above gives the route its length and its shape. This gives it a position: latitude and longitude only, no coastlines, because a hand-drawn coastline would be decoration pretending to be data. On a flat grid the shortest path looks bent; on a globe it is straight.
Flight time at different cruise speeds
Aircraft type, winds and routing all move the real number. This is the same distance flown at different speeds, plus the 25-minute ground and climb allowance.
| Typical of | Cruise speed | Airborne | Gate to gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop / regional | 550 km/h | 26h 22m | 26h 47m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 18h 35m | 19h 01m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 16h 07m | 16h 32m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 17h 03m | 17h 29m |
Headwinds on an eastbound long-haul routinely add 30–60 minutes; the same route westbound can be quicker. Airlines publish schedules with padding built in.
SOURCE·OurAirports + great-circle computation·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Both airports
| MSP | SYD | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field | Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport |
| City | Minneapolis | Sydney (Mascot) |
| Country | United States | Australia |
| ICAO | KMSP | YSSY |
| Coordinates | 44.8801, -93.2217 | -33.9461, 151.177 |
| Elevation | 841 ft | 21 ft |
Every figure on this plate is geometry. The shape of the earth is knowable; the airline's schedule is not.
Questions this plate answers
How long is the flight from Minneapolis to Sydney (Mascot)?
A non-stop flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Sydney (Mascot) (SYD) takes about 18h 26m. The great-circle distance is 14,499 km (9,009 miles, 7,829 nautical miles), flying west on an initial bearing of 259°.
How far is Minneapolis from Sydney (Mascot)?
14,499 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 9,009 miles or 7,829 nautical miles. Actual flown distance is usually 2–5% longer because aircraft follow airways, avoid weather and route around restricted airspace.
Is there a non-stop flight between MSP and SYD?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 14,499 km the route is at the extreme end of what any airliner can fly non-stop, so a connection is likely. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 18h 26m flight?
Anything past six hours is a long-haul flight: expect at least one meal service, a significant time-zone shift, and enough sitting that circulation and hydration start to matter. Cabin altitude, dry air and disrupted sleep do more damage to a training routine than the flight itself.
Airport coordinates from OurAirports (public domain). Distance is a great-circle calculation; flight time uses the model described on the method page. Flight times are great-circle estimates for planning only — always check the airline's published schedule.
