National Airlines Sets New Record with Historic Scotland to Australia Cargo Flight
A US cargo airline has completed one of the longest commercial cargo flights in history. National Airlines' Boeing 777F, N792CA, flew nonstop from Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland to Melbourne Airport in Australia on August 4-5, 2026.
The flight covered a distance of 9,850 nautical miles (18,240 kilometers) and lasted approximately 19 hours and 24 minutes. The aircraft was commissioned by British air transport company Golden Aviation to transport a crucial spare part for a grounded passenger plane.
The Boeing 777F's range is typically around 5,000 nautical miles when fully loaded with cargo, but in this instance, the payload had to be limited to 107 tons due to the required engine components weighing less. By utilizing its full fuel capacity, the aircraft was able to almost double its normal range.
The successful flight highlights the importance of ad-hoc charter flights during unplanned disruptions in international passenger traffic and demonstrates the technical capabilities of modern wide-body cargo aircraft under specific loading conditions.