National Airlines has completed what appears to be the longest B777F flight ever to have been operated on behalf of another carrier.
On August 4, 2026, the Florida-based cargo and charter operator flew the Boeing 777 freighter, registered N795CA, between Prestwick Airport (PIK), in Scotland, and Melbourne (MEL), Australia. The flight covered 9,849 nautical miles (18,240 km), without any intermediate stops, in 19 hours and 23 minutes.
This B777F completed the mission at the limit of its range envelope, which, with a full payload, is officially 4,970 nautical miles (9,200 km). The B777F range, however, can be extended to around 9,750 nautical miles (18,000 km) if the aircraft is flown with a reduced payload, as it appears to have been the case.
While National Airlines have not disclosed what type of cargo was flown to Australia (the cargo carrier only posted a vague reference to UK-based aviation services firm Golden Aviation as its customer), some online comments have pointed out that the aircraft may have been carrying urgently needed spare parts for grounded aircraft.
Remarkably, this record-setting flight follows the completion of a much-anticipated Airbus A350-1000ULR test flight between Toulouse (TLS) and Melbourne of just 11 days earlier, on July 24, 2026. The aircraft is specifically designed to complete ultra-long-haul missions, such as Europe to Australia. The same aircraft achieved another record on its return leg, from Melbourne to Toulouse, when it stayed airborne for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering 12,460 nautical miles (23,076 km), the longest flight ever completed by this type of airliner.
National Airlines operates a fleet of nine Boeing 747-400 and four B777-200 freighters. The company, which is based in Orlando, Florida and works regularly as a contractor for the United States government, operates also a passenger charter and ACMI business with A330-300 and A330-200 aircraft.
AeroTime has reached out to National Airlines for comment.