With the kids breaking up for the school summer holidays today, many families will be gearing up to jet off to exotic locations abroad.
And while many of us are used to sitting on planes for hours on end to get to our favourite destinations, you can actually take flights from the UK that last just minutes.
Westray to Papa Westray
The in the entire world is the Loganair flight between , in the Orkney Islands of Scotland.
Passengers can travel between the two tiny islands in just one and a half minutes, with the record for the fastest flight just 53 seconds.
The is just 1.7 miles, with flights running every single day.
Tickets will set you back just £8, and the flight is much quicker than the alternative option, a 25 minute ferry.
Other Orkney Inter-Island Flights
Although the Westray to Papa Westray flight is by far the UK’s shortest, there are also a number of other short flights connecting the Orkney Islands.
These Loganair flights connect the islands to Kirkwall, Orkney’s main hub.
For example, Kirkwall to Westray takes between 10 and 15 minutes, and Kirkwall to Sanday takes around 15-20 minutes.
London to Channel Islands
Anyone looking for a holiday close to home this summer can fly from the capital to the Channel Islands, such as Jersey and Guernsey in around 30-40 minutes.
, the largest of the, was named one of the world’s best islands in the Conde Nast Travellers’ 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards .
Its beaches are well known for their beauty, with a range of landscapes on offer, from wide, open spaces to secluded coves and lunar-like expanses, making it the perfect destination for anyone who isn’t a fan of long haul flights.
UK mainland to Isle of Man
Another popular tourist destination within the UK is the . which boasts stunning sandy beaches, seals and Victorian railways.
You can access the island by ferry (as influencer e recently did) or you can take a commercial flight.
Regular flights take off from airports such as and , and take between 30-50 minutes.
Flights from mainland Scotland to Scottish Islands
Loganair also runs short flights connecting people in other remote Scottish Islands to the mainland.
For example, a flight from either or to the Outer Hebrides takes around 50 minutes, and a flight from one of the main Scottish cities to Shetland takes approximately one hour.
None of these islands are far from the mainland, but due to challenging ferry conditions, are often the preferred option for travellers.
If you’re looking for an adventure a bit more long haul, Qantas has unveiled plans to launch the between and London and .
The non-stop flights are expected to take over 19 hours, and are set to launch in 2026.
