Many of the commercial airlines operating between East Asia and the Americas do not prefer to fly over the Pacific Ocean, which can have dangerous consequences when it passes over it.
Have you ever thought about the reasons why almost no planes fly over the Pacific Ocean, while many airlines choose to fly over land?
It saves distance.
Airlines; Instead of flying over oceans, it prefers to fly over “curve” routes on land. “Curvy” routes on land are generally shorter than straight routes over the ocean. For example; When a plane bound for Japan from the United States takes off, it will fly a curved route over Canada and Alaska, making the shortest and most economical flight.
When you look at a map, the Earth appears flat and a straight line to the desired destination seems like the shortest path. However, Earth is actually spherical, and a curved path is the shortest distance between two locations.
The cost is reduced.
Curvy routes help reduce flight costs. At the same time, ticket prices for consumers go down. So not flying over the Pacific Ocean saves airlines both fuel and time. It would be the most logical choice for all airlines operating in East Asia and the Americas not to fly over the Pacific Ocean.
The chances of turbulent weather are reduced.
Most flights are scheduled to minimize time spent over bodies of water such as the sea and ocean. This is because storms are more likely to occur over water than on land. The weather over the Pacific Ocean is often turbulent. There are many thunderstorms in some areas, so it is not considered a safe environment to fly.
No jet stream is encountered.
Jet stream is a type of strong breeze that occurs at the level of the troposphere. These air currents flow predominantly from West to East due to Earth’s rotation. Flying in the same direction as a jet stream can save an airplane time and fuel. But; flying in the opposite direction causes dangerous turbulence and potential damage.
The possibility of a dangerous landing is prevented.
When flying over a large body of water such as the Pacific Ocean, there is no safe place for an emergency landing. Even assuming that anyone on board survived, rescuers would have little chance of tracking and rescuing an aircraft that crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
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