Why Don’t Planes Fly Over the Pacific Ocean? | Executive Flyers (2024)

FAQs

Why do planes avoid flying over the Pacific ocean? ›

Weather and jet streams

So, this is yet another reason why most routes avoid flying over the Pacific since it can be a sort of wild west of weather. Additionally, Bitlux writes that jet streams are a significant factor in flight planning since they are key in lowering fuel costs and time spent in the air.

Though less common than transatlantic flights, transpacific flights have been commercially available since the mid-1930s and have been used for transport of cargo and passengers across the Pacific Ocean.

Yes, you can fly over the north pole, NASA suggests that 5,000 flights do this each year. Newer GPS-based navigation equipment doesn't have any problems at the north pole like older magnetic equipment. However, there is a high level of radiation at the poles so doing so regularly would be dangerous for those onboard.

Tibet is considered one of the world's most elevated areas, with the average elevation in the region going up to approximately 16000 feet. As such, it's also one of those regions in the world that comes with a natural no-fly zone, due to various factors like high mountains situated within its borders.

If a plane crashes into water it is typically destroyed, unless it was already destroyed before the crash. If, on the other hand, it is set down on the water under control it has a good chance of floating long enough for the occupants to exit.

Crossing the Pacific Ocean

Currently there is only one jet that can cross the distance without stopping for fuel and that's the BBJ 777X, and it's one of the most expensive jets to charter privately. With that being said, a typical private jet charter wouldn't be able to cross the Pacific Ocean in a single shot.

Most airplanes do not fly directly over the pacific but instead fly a curved route hugging the shorelines of Asia and North America. Flights do cross parts of the Pacific Ocean when en route to places like Hawaii and the Cook Islands. Staying within safe flight range of land is always preferred.

However, because of lessons learned from its history and the improvements in aircraft and engine reliability, crossing the oceans is deemed as safe as flying over land. With the rules of ETOPS flying in place, the crew of an aircraft will always know where the nearest diversion airfield is.

There are very few cases of airplanes flying over Antarctica. The rough weather conditions and low visibility make it extremely difficult to fly and land a plane over the continent.

Historically, flying close to or over the South Pole was ruled out by Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards rules. ETOPS governs how far away twin-engine jets can fly from an airport they can land at.

Do any commercial flights go over the poles? ›

Current flight operations

Emirates and Qatar Airways fly nonstop from Dubai and Doha to the US West Coast (San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles), coming within a few degrees of latitude of the North Pole.

Notable ones include the Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) encompassing all airspace up to 18,000 feet (5,500 m) within approximately 15 nautical miles (28 km) of Ronald Reagan National Airport around Washington, D.C. Flights within this airspace, while not entirely prohibited, are highly restricted.

Planes can and do sometimes fly over Antarctica, it is not a no-fly zone and it is not illegal, it is just very impractical to do so. Smaller planes fly lower and have to deal with challenging weather conditions, snow-falls, white-outs and icing problems.

Some countries waive the airspace fee owed if you land or depart from the country while others charge regardless of landing or departure point. Some countries will send an invoice; others do not. The currency and payment procedures vary by country and can be very cumbersome and difficult to comply with.

What is the safest seat on an airplane? According to a TIME investigation from 2015 that examined 35 years of aircraft accident data, the middle seats at the back of the plane had the lowest fatality rate at 28%. The second-safest option is the aisle seats in the middle of the plane, at 44%.

Ditching is a controlled emergency landing on water. It can be caused by almost anything, but usually it's because of engine failure or running out of fuel. Pilots only decide to ditch an aircraft when there is no better alternative. Despite the difficulty, pilots don't undergo extensive training on ditching.

23 November 1996: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 (a Boeing 767-260ER), ditched in the Indian Ocean near Comoros after being hijacked and running out of fuel, killing 125 of the 175 passengers and crew on board.

Aerodynamic altitude: If a commercial airliner flies too high, it will encounter less dense air passing over the wings to create lift. This can cause the plane to stall and fall out of control. Depending on the weather conditions and aircraft weight, this can occur anywhere between 40,000 and 45,000 feet.

Undefeated record: The world record for the world's longest continuous flight was set in 1959 by Robert Timm (pictured) and his co-pilot John Cook. Months in the air: The men flew in this four-seater aircraft for 64 days, 22 hours and 19 minutes.

The idea is to get as much altitude as possible, as close to the airport as possible. So you have a relatively steep initial climb, followed by a reduction of climb angle to cruise climb and a power reduction.

How deep is the Pacific ocean? ›

The Pacific is also our planet's deepest water body, with an average depth of approximately 4,000 meters (13,000 feet). The deepest place on Earth, known as Challenger Deep, extends to a depth of more than 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) and is found in the Mariana Trench, in the Pacific.

The biggest reason for this altitude lies in fuel efficiency. The thin air creates less drag on the aircraft, which means the plane can use less fuel in order to maintain speed. Less wind resistance, more power, less effort, so to speak. Spending less on fuel is also great for airlines, for obvious reasons.

Modern aircraft with two engines flying transatlantic (the most common models used for transatlantic service being the Airbus A330, Boeing 767, Boeing 777 and Boeing 787) have to be ETOPS certified.

Although, it may “feel” like we face more turbulence when flying over water bodies, it is not really so. Unless, of course, we are passing through a patch of cyclonic weather. In general, chances of turbulence are highest when we pass over mountains or cities with high-rises.

As a result, flying over water really is no riskier than flying over land. So next time you take your seat for a flight across the Atlantic or Pacific, take comfort in knowing that rigorous plans have been put in place for the duration of your flight to ensure that you're kept safe.

The longest over water route in the world is the stretch between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Even between Hawaii and Tokyo there are alternate airports available, such as Midway Island (hence the name “Midway”). Going across the North Atlantic, alternates include Iceland and Greenland.

A ghost flight is a term used when airlines operate a regularly scheduled route with a plane containing less than 10% of the airline's total capacity. Some say these flights are unnecessarily adding to the environmental crisis, by contributing to carbon emissions without a significant benefit.

Thanks to the low visibility and undeveloped infrastructure, flying over Antarctica is extremely difficult. Specifically, because of the strong magnetic fields that surround the polar regions, navigating there, no matter how well-equipped the airplane is in terms of instrumentation, can be particularly challenging.

The longest over water route in the world is the stretch between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. Even between Hawaii and Tokyo there are alternate airports available, such as Midway Island (hence the name “Midway”). Going across the North Atlantic, alternates include Iceland and Greenland.

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned destination, Beijing Capital International Airport in China.

What is a midnight flight? ›

* 1. "late-night flight" are defined as flights that depart between 12:00 AM and 1:59 AM.

There can be consequences.

Hidden-city ticketing isn't illegal. Both United Airlines and Orbitz filed a federal lawsuit against Skiplagged founder Aktarer Zaman — and lost due to what CNN Money called a "technicality."

The sky over Disneyland in Anaheim and Walt Disney World in Orlando is "national defense airspace." Intentionally violating Mickey and Minnie's airspace, the alerts warn, could result in interception, interrogation and federal prosecution.

Most polynyas in the Southern Ocean occur along Antarctica's coast. These temporary ice-free zones are oases for penguins, seals, and other Antarctic wildlife. The Weddell polynya, however, formed much farther from shore. Though they are just massive holes in the ice, polynyas can affect regional and global climates.

There is no international law governing the North Pole.

The waters at and surrounding the North Pole are governed by the same international laws that apply to all other oceans. And as the ice there begins to melt, the water above the seabed will remain international waters.

The Mariana Trench, in the Pacific Ocean, is the deepest location on Earth.

The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep.

Last year an expedition to the Mariana Trench made history by conducting the deepest crewed dive ever completed as it descended 10,927 metres into the Challenger Deep.

On a good day, with favorable winds and light luggage, it takes 53 seconds. The journey, made two to three times daily, connects Westray, an island on the edge of Scotland's northerly Orkney archipelago, to the smaller, even more remote island of Papa Westray.

What is the shortest flight of all time? ›

The shortest flight in the world is a long-established air route between two of the Orkney Islands (Westray and Papa Westray) in Scotland. The distance is a mere 1.7 miles and with favorable winds, the flight often lasts less than a minute!