Why are airplane routes curved and not straight?

Airplane routes appear curved on a map because they follow the curvature of the Earth, meaning they fly along a “great circle” route which is the shortest distance between two points on a sphere, not a straight line as it would appear on a flat map; this is the most efficient way to travel between destinations considering the Earth’s spherical shape.

Key points about curved airplane routes:

• Earth’s curvature:

The primary reason is that the Earth is not flat, so a straight line on a map would not actually be the shortest distance between two points on the globe.

• Great circle routes:

Airplanes fly along “great circle routes” which are the shortest paths between two points on a sphere, appearing as curves on a flat map.

• Fuel efficiency:

Following a great circle route helps to minimize flight time and fuel consumption.

Other factors influencing flight paths:

• Jet streams:Pilots often use jet streams, high-altitude winds that can significantly speed up travel, which may cause the flight path to deviate from a perfectly straight line.
• Air traffic control:Flight paths are also adjusted to avoid congested airspace and coordinate with other aircraft.
• Weather conditions:Pilots may alter their route to avoid severe weather.

AI Generated image

Search Labs AI overview