Philadelphia to Sydney (Mascot)
20h 09mgate to gate
The flight from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) covers 15,883 km (9,869 miles) and takes approximately 20h 09m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads west on an initial great-circle bearing of 264°, passing near 7.5° N, 147.2° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 264° west Midpoint 7.5° N, 147.2° 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: 15,883 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 19h 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: 20h 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.
15,883 km / 805 km/h = 19h 44m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 20h 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 | 28h 53m | 29h 18m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 20h 22m | 20h 47m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 17h 39m | 18h 04m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 18h 41m | 19h 06m |
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
| PHL | SYD | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Philadelphia International Airport | Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport |
| City | Philadelphia | Sydney (Mascot) |
| Country | United States | Australia |
| ICAO | KPHL | YSSY |
| Coordinates | 39.8719, -75.2411 | -33.9461, 151.177 |
| Elevation | 36 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 Philadelphia to Sydney (Mascot)?
A non-stop flight from Philadelphia (PHL) to Sydney (Mascot) (SYD) takes about 20h 09m. The great-circle distance is 15,883 km (9,869 miles, 8,576 nautical miles), flying west on an initial bearing of 264°.
How far is Philadelphia from Sydney (Mascot)?
15,883 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 9,869 miles or 8,576 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 PHL and SYD?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 15,883 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 20h 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.
