Sydney (Mascot) to New York
20h 18mgate to gate
The flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) covers 16,007 km (9,946 miles) and takes approximately 20h 18m gate to gate for a typical jet.
The route heads north-east on an initial great-circle bearing of 66°, passing near 8.8° N, 147.6° W at its midpoint.
Bearing 66° north-east Midpoint 8.8° N, 147.6° 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: 16,007 km.
- Airborne time = that distance ÷ 805 km/h, a representative jet cruise speed: 19h 53m.
- 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 18m gate to gate.
- Winds, aircraft type and airline schedule padding are not modelled. The cruise-speed table shows how much that assumption is worth.
16,007 km / 805 km/h = 19h 53m airborne
+ 25 min ground = 20h 18m 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 | 29h 06m | 29h 31m |
| Narrowbody jet (A320, 737) | 780 km/h | 20h 31m | 20h 56m |
| Widebody jet (777, 787, A350) | 900 km/h | 17h 47m | 18h 12m |
| Private jet (Gulfstream) | 850 km/h | 18h 50m | 19h 15m |
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
| SYD | LGA | |
|---|---|---|
| Airport | Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport | LaGuardia Airport |
| City | Sydney (Mascot) | New York |
| Country | Australia | United States |
| ICAO | YSSY | KLGA |
| Coordinates | -33.9461, 151.177 | 40.7772, -73.8726 |
| Elevation | 21 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 Sydney (Mascot) to New York?
A non-stop flight from Sydney (Mascot) (SYD) to New York (LGA) takes about 20h 18m. The great-circle distance is 16,007 km (9,946 miles, 8,643 nautical miles), flying north-east on an initial bearing of 66°.
How far is Sydney (Mascot) from New York?
16,007 kilometres in a straight line over the earth's surface — 9,946 miles or 8,643 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 SYD and LGA?
This page calculates the direct-line time and distance; it does not track airline schedules. At 16,007 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 18m 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.
