Why do flights to Asia go over Alaska?

Efficient Routing It is more common for a curved route over land to be faster than a straight path over water. For flights from the United States to Japan, for instance, a curving route across Canada and Alaska would provide the shortest travel time and the greatest fuel efficiency.



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Despite what many people believe, the answer actually has nothing to do with safety. The real answer is because going north may actually provide a shorter route. This is called Great Circle Navigation. Because of the curvature of the Earth, the shortest route between two locations may appear much longer on a flat map.

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Most commercial airlines that travel between East Asia and the Americas avoid flying over the Pacific Ocean due to high costs and safety concerns, such as the risk of flying during stormy weather. But weather isn't the only thing that keeps aircraft from flying over the Pacific Ocean.

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The most common reason is that there are no airstrips or airports on many of the small islands, so if a plane had to make an emergency landing, it would be difficult to find a place to land. Additionally, the Pacific Ocean is vast and remote, so if a plane were to go down, it would be very difficult to find.

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Currently, the bragging rights for the longest flight in the world belong to Singapore Airlines' New York City to Singapore route. Its longest flight path, which connects Singapore's Changi Airport with New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, 9,585 miles away, takes 18 hours and 40 minutes.

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The short answer is, no, it's not illegal to fly over Antarctica. But there are practical considerations that make it challenging for regular airlines to navigate across the land. In many parts of Antarctica, there's limited or no infrastructure, no landing strips, and obviously no refuelling stations for planes.

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Russia and Alaska are divided by the Bering Strait, which is about 55 miles at its narrowest point.

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The Loganair Westray to Papa Westray route is the shortest scheduled passenger flight in the world. Flights on the route are scheduled for one and a half minutes, and actual flying time is closer to one minute. The record for the fastest flight is 53 seconds.

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The simple answer is yes, pilots do, and are allowed to sleep during flight but there are strict rules controlling this practice. Pilots would only normally sleep on long haul flights, although sleep on short haul flights is permitted to avoid the effects of fatigue.

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13 Tips for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight
  1. Choose your seat. ...
  2. Power up. ...
  3. Get comfy. ...
  4. Bring some snacks. ...
  5. Always bring a scarf or shawl. ...
  6. Pack a pillow and blanket. ...
  7. See no evil, hear no evil. ...
  8. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.


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12 Tips (and Carry-On Essentials) for Surviving a Long-Haul Flight
  1. Buy your ticket as early as possible. ...
  2. Wear your most comfortable outfit. ...
  3. Invest in a good travel pillow, earplugs, and sleep mask. ...
  4. Pack your own headphones. ...
  5. Take the smallest personal item you can. ...
  6. Bring your own snacks, or buy some before boarding.


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