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The dashed line joins the two city centres; the true shortest path on the globe is a great-circle arc, and real flight paths also bend around restricted airspace and follow airways.

Over open water

Apart from the first few minutes over Hong Kong's islands, the whole route is over sea. The great-circle line runs southwest across the South China Sea, passes east of Hainan and near the Paracel Islands, and parallels the coast of Vietnam before approaching Singapore over the southern part of the sea. Nonstop flights between Hong Kong International (HKG) and Changi (SIN) are frequent, and this has long been one of Southeast Asia's busiest international air corridors.

Twin cities, friendly rivals

The two cities have a lot in common. Both developed as British colonial ports, Singapore from 1819 and Hong Kong from 1841, and both were occupied by Japan during the Second World War. Both have mostly ethnic Chinese populations, English-based common-law systems and economies built on trade, shipping and finance. They operate two of the world's busiest container ports and compete for regional headquarters, wealth management and listings, which is why they are compared so often.

Getting there without flying

There is no realistic overland alternative. A rail journey through mainland China, Laos, Thailand and Malaysia is possible with many changes, but it takes days. Some cruise itineraries call at both ports.