New York to Nanjing
15h 09mgate to gate
The flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) covers 11,863 km (7,371 miles) and takes approximately 15h 09m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north on an initial great-circle bearing of 349°, passing near 80.4° N, 175.3° E at its midpoint.
Bearing 349° north Midpoint 80.4° N, 175.3° E 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: 11,863 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 14h 44m.
- Add a flat 25 minutes for pushback, taxi, climb, descent and taxi-in — the reason a 400 km hop is never half an hour: 15h 09m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
11,863 km / 805 km/h = 14h 44m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 15h 09m 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 | 21h 34m | 21h 59m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 15h 13m | 15h 38m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 13h 11m | 13h 36m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 13h 57m | 14h 23m |
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
| JFK | NKG | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | John F. Kennedy International Airport | Nanjing Lukou International Airport |
| City | New York | Nanjing |
| Country | United States | China |
| ICAO | KJFK | ZSNJ |
| Coordinates | 40.6394, -73.7793 | 31.735, 118.8659 |
| Elevation | 13 ft | 49 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 New York to Nanjing?
A non-stop flight from New York (JFK) to Nanjing (NKG) takes about 15h 09m. The great-circle distance is 11,863 km (7,371 miles, 6,406 nautical miles), flying north on an initial bearing of 349°.
How far is New York from Nanjing?
11,863 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 7,371 miles or 6,406 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 JFK and NKG?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 11,863 km the route is within reach of long-range widebodies, though not every city pair is served non-stop. Check an airline or booking site for what is actually scheduled.
What should I expect on a 15h 09m 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.
