Free Online Flight Duration Calculator
Estimate flight time from route distance, speed, and wind.
A headwind slows the aircraft down; a tailwind speeds it up. Enter a negative number for a tailwind.
This is a planning estimate. Real flights add taxi, climb, descent, routing, air traffic control and weather delays, so schedule times can differ by 30 minutes or more.
About the Flight Duration Calculator
The flight duration calculator turns a route distance, a cruise speed and a wind component into a realistic block-time estimate. It also projects the local arrival clock time from your departure time and shows how much fuel the trip consumes when you supply a burn rate. Pilots, frequent flyers, travel planners and aviation enthusiasts can use it to sanity-check airline schedules or to compare aircraft and routing options before booking.
Ground speed is what matters
An aircraft moves through the air at its true airspeed, but the air itself is moving. The speed over the ground is the cruise speed minus a headwind, or plus a tailwind. A 900 km/h cruise speed with a 100 km/h headwind produces a ground speed of 800 km/h, so the trip takes longer. The same aircraft with a 100 km/h tailwind covers ground at 1000 km/h and arrives sooner. Wind therefore changes both duration and fuel burned, and the calculator treats a positive wind value as a headwind and a negative value as a tailwind.
Distance, speed and time
Flight time equals distance divided by ground speed. The calculator first converts the distance and speed to a common unit, then divides. Results are shown in hours and minutes rather than decimal hours because schedules use clock time. For example, 3,300 kilometers at 825 km/h is four hours of airborne time. Adding taxi and runway time on the ground is a separate allowance that this tool does not include unless you add it to the duration yourself.
Arrival time and time zones
The arrival estimate adds the airborne duration to the departure clock time in the same local frame. It is intended for quick planning and does not automatically apply the destination time zone. If you cross time zones, use the dedicated flight time zone calculator to convert the result. Remember that departure and arrival times printed on tickets are local to each airport, which is why a flight can appear to land before it took off when you travel east across the date line.
Optional fuel estimate
When the fuel option is enabled, the tool multiplies the burn rate by the flight duration and then multiplies by the price per liter. The result is an airborne fuel estimate only. It excludes reserves, taxi fuel, holding patterns, alternate-airport fuel and engine start-up, all of which airlines account for separately. For light aircraft, use the manufacturer's published cruise fuel flow and add your own reserve margin. For airline routes, treat the figure as a lower bound rather than an operational flight plan.
Frequently asked questions
Should I enter true airspeed or ground speed?
Enter the cruise speed through the air (true airspeed) and let the wind field adjust it. If you already know the ground speed, set the wind to zero and enter the ground speed as the cruise speed.
Why is my real flight longer than the estimate?
Scheduled block time includes taxi-out, takeoff, climb, step climbs, descent, approach, taxi-in and often a buffer for congestion. The calculator estimates airborne time only, so add roughly 20 to 40 minutes for a short-haul flight.
Does wind direction matter, not just speed?
Yes. Only the component of the wind along the route affects duration. A direct crosswind mostly affects heading and drift, while a headwind or tailwind changes the speed over the ground. This tool accepts that along-route component.