Have you ever heard the phrase “Time is money?“, well, this statement is true in almost all statements, with the exception of the world of aviation. Well… Sort of! Let’s do it by steps?
First, what is my point with this question? In case you didn’t know, compared to the 60’s, aviation is a little slower.
No, we are not talking about TAP delays, or the problems inherent at Lisbon airport, we are actually talking about the fact that in general, all over the world, it is now slower to go from point A to point B, on board a commercial plane. Have you noticed?
What’s the reason planes don’t fly faster?
Well, while I was surfing the Internet searching for fun facts about the modern world, I came across a comparison of current North American flights, against those of the 60s. Did you have any idea that a commercial flight is now significantly slower compared to the numbers of the 60’s? In other words, in more than 50 years of aviation, instead of getting faster, things got a little slower!
In comparison, we had an American Air Lines flight, in 1967, leaving New York at noon sharp, and arriving at its destination, Los Angeles, at 2:43 pm, taking into account the time difference, this flight had a duration of 5 hours and 43 minutes.
Well, in 2023, the same flight leaves New York at noon, but only arrives in Los Angeles at 3:27 pm, that is, again taking into account the time difference, this flight now has a duration of 6 hours and 27 minutes.
What happened?
Well, this is not an isolated example, this happens on almost all flights, on all airlines. A plane trip now takes longer compared to the 60s. Incredible isn’t it? Do you know why?
Well, nowadays, there is more air traffic, and for that very reason, scheduling is more complicated, and you have to expect delays or other problems. But this does not justify everything.
In case you didn’t know, speed has long since ceased to be the focus of airlines, to make room for energy efficiency, and of course, the maximum use of the components of each plane. Which is exactly why the Concordethe fastest commercial aircraft in the world, stopped flying, not because it was dangerous, but because it was extremely inefficient in the use of fuel, and also because it was a machine with a very high wear and tear.
After all, on a transatlantic trip, at the time, the Concorde would burn right from the start, around €7,500. A very high value, which in fact was never recovered by the companies, such was the price of the ticket.
By the way, when was the last time you chose a flight based on the total travel time?
Most likely, like the vast majority of consumers, you will opt for the cheapest flight, even if it takes another 30 or 40 minutes. In addition, you will also prefer a flight with fewer stopovers, and that lands at a more practical airport, or at least more comfortable for what you want to do.
Airlines know this better than anyone, so to save fuel, they always try to fly at the most efficient speed, and of course, they also try to play with the life cycle of the planes, or the parts that wear the most.
Also, what do you think about all this? Interesting? Share your opinion with us in the comments box below.
