The Costa flights to Spain is just three pence

With Boeing announcing plans to develop the first non-stop flight from London to Sydney by 2020, international flight experts Skyscanner take a look at some of the world’s longest and shortest flights to reveal which routes offer the best value per mile.

All prices based on sample direct flights departing on 1 July 2012.

1. Westray (WRY) to Papa Westray (PPW) - £5.70 per mile
This two-minute island-hop in Scotland’s windswept Orkney Isles lays claim to being the shortest commercial flight on the planet, as well as one of the world’s most beautiful air journeys. No need for in-flight entertainment on this route, which will cost you £17 one-way.

2. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Singapore Changi (SIN) – 21 pence per mile
Connecting Asia with North America, the world’s longest flight is Singapore Airlines’ 9,519-mile, 18.5-hour journey between Newark and Singapore, notoriously pricey with the cost of an average ticket around £2,000.

3. Edinburgh (EDI) to London Gatwick (LGW) – 11 pence per mile
One of the UK’s most searched for routes, this 331-mile trip between the Scottish and English capitals takes only around an hour and costs around £36.

4. Birmingham (BHX) to Dubai (DXB) – 10 pence per mile
The United Arab Emirate state of Dubai has emerged as one of the UK’s favourite long-haul holiday destinations in recent years, and it’s perhaps no surprise with one-way tickets for the seven-hour 3,483 journey coming in at only £360.

5. London Gatwick (LGW) to Sharm El Sheikh (SSH) eight pence per mile
A popular route for Brits looking for year-round sun, the 2,411 mile journey from London to the tourist hotspot of Sharm El Sheikh comes in at £207 and equates to only eight pence per mile.

6. London Stansted (STN) to Malaga (AGP) - three pence per mile
The most searched for journey on Skyscanner in 2011, a one-way ticket to the sun-kissed Costa Del Sol can be yours for only £30, and the 1,042 mile journey comes in at a bargain three pence per mile, leaving you plenty to spend on ice cream and cold beers by the pool. To put this in perspective, the price of unleaded petrol at the time of writing was 140p per litre, equating to 18p per mile or nearly six times as expensive per mile as flying to Malaga.

Full table*
Ranking Journey Distance (miles) Cost Cost per mile
1 Westray to Papa Westray 3 £17 £5.70
2 New York to Singapore 10,000 £2000 21 pence
3 Edinburgh to London 400 £36 11 pence
4 Birmingham to Dubai 3,483 £360 10 pence
5 London to Sharm 2,411 £207 8 pence
6 London to Malaga 1,042 £30 3 pence

All flight prices taken from Skyscanner and correct as at 30 March 2012 for the cheapest one-way fare available on 1 July 2012 

Westray to Papa Westray can only be booked by telephone via Loganair 

Petrol prices taken from petrolprices.com and hmrc.gov.uk 

Distances taken from mapcrow.info