Man records shortest ever passenger flight which takes just seconds

Have you ever wondered what the world's shortest commercial passenger flight is? The answer is a 2.7km (1.7 mile) route between the Scottish Orkney Islands of Westray and Papa Westray, which was recently filmed and uploaded to TikTok by a vlogging pilot. Watch his video here:

Noel Philips record the journey in its entirety, and as it was just 75 seconds in length, the flight managed to fit within the limits of a single TikTok video.

Operated by Logan Air, tickets for the remarkably short bus-like journey cost £17, which makes it one of the most expensive flights you can take on a per mile basis.

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First established in 1967, the subsidised route was first introduced to connect some of the Orkney islands, which are just north of the Scottish mainland - and are home to around 22,000 people in total.

The route is regarded as a public service obligation, one which runs twice per day.

As you might imagine, there isn't a huge demand for flights between these remote islands, and the aircraft used for such journeys seats just eight passengers.

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Indeed, as Philips points out in the video, most commuters flying on the route "seem to be connecting onto this flight to fly down to Kirkwall", which is the next destination for the plane once it arrives at Papa Westray.

By comparison, the flight to Kirkwall is a positively distant 43km away.

While Philips' flight caught the attention of many TikTok users, he isn't the only content creator who has documented the world's shortest flight.

Last year, British YouTuber Tom Scott, who has over 5 million subscribers, uploaded his experience of travelling from Westray to Papa Westray.

The record for the shortest ever flight between the islands is 53 seconds, with Scott's flight taking around 30 seconds longer.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the flight is just how remote the islands of Westray - and especially Papa Westray - actually are. The latter has a population of just 90, while Westray is home to 588 people.

The flight has attracted tourists from all around the world since it was officially recognised as the world's shortest commercial route.

And yet, in spite of this, its future isn't guaranteed.

The Independent/Noel Phillips

As per The Scotsman, in 2014 plans were drawn up by the Orkney Island Council to build fixed links between the seven of the archipelago's islands.

As part of these plans, a bridge would be constructed between Westray and Papa Westray, although as of 2022, no such work has begun on the proposed project.

A car ferry, which lasts around 25 minutes, already connects the two islands for those who need to deliver goods and heavy items.