Flight length
Encyclopedia
In aviation
, the flight length is defined as the time airborne during a flight.
are short-haul. In addition to this criterion, the destination airport must be in the same country as the departure airport. Domestic flights can vary greatly in length due to some countries being larger than others.
as a flight under 3 hours in length.
A short-haul flight was defined by Cathay Pacific
as flights between Hong Kong
and Tokyo
or Korea
as well as between New York
and Vancouver
.
A short-haul flight is defined by the UK Treasury as a flight under 2000 miles in distance. In the United Kingdom
, HM Treasury levy Air Passenger Duty
on all flights, according to banding by distance.
that involve long distances, typically beyond six and a half hours in length, and often are non-stop flight
s.
around the curvature of the earth. For example, aircraft travelling west between continents in the northern hemisphere will often follow paths extending northward near or into the arctic
region. The resulting route, when shown on a projected map of the world, will appear curved (despite being the shortest route). The great-circle distance
between airports may therefore give an approximation of flight length.
However, a flight route will also take into account weather conditions, and air currents. A transcontinental flight in an Easterly direction will often take a more southerly route to take advantage of the jet stream
.
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, the flight length is defined as the time airborne during a flight.
| Short-haul flight: | <3 hours |
|---|---|
| Medium-haul flight: | 3 to 6 hours |
| Long-haul flight: | >6 hours |
Domestic
A short-haul domestic flight is commonly categorized into being no longer than 500 mi (804.7 km) 1.5 hours in length, meaning that all domestic flights within a country such as the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
are short-haul. In addition to this criterion, the destination airport must be in the same country as the departure airport. Domestic flights can vary greatly in length due to some countries being larger than others.
Short-haul flights
A short-haul flight is defined by Thomas Cook AirlinesThomas Cook Airlines
Thomas Cook Airlines is a British charter airline based in Manchester, England. It serves main holiday resorts worldwide, from its main bases at Manchester and Gatwick.The airline also operates services from nine other bases in the United Kingdom....
as a flight under 3 hours in length.
A short-haul flight was defined by Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport, although the airline's registered office is on the 33rd floor of One Pacific Place...
as flights between Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
or Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
as well as between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
A short-haul flight is defined by the UK Treasury as a flight under 2000 miles in distance. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, HM Treasury levy Air Passenger Duty
Air Passenger Duty
Air Passenger Duty is an excise duty which is charged on the carriage of passengers flying from a United Kingdom airport on an aircraft that has an authorised take off weight of more than ten tonnes or more than twenty seats for passengers...
on all flights, according to banding by distance.
Long-haul flights
Long-haul flights are journeys typically made by wide-body aircraftWide-body aircraft
A wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
that involve long distances, typically beyond six and a half hours in length, and often are non-stop flight
Non-stop flight
A non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
s.
Great circle distance and other factors
A flight will typically take a direct route to minimise flight length. For long-haul flights, the most direct route is a great circleGreat circle
A great circle, also known as a Riemannian circle, of a sphere is the intersection of the sphere and a plane which passes through the center point of the sphere, as opposed to a general circle of a sphere where the plane is not required to pass through the center...
around the curvature of the earth. For example, aircraft travelling west between continents in the northern hemisphere will often follow paths extending northward near or into the arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
region. The resulting route, when shown on a projected map of the world, will appear curved (despite being the shortest route). The great-circle distance
Great-circle distance
The great-circle distance or orthodromic distance is the shortest distance between any two points on the surface of a sphere measured along a path on the surface of the sphere . Because spherical geometry is rather different from ordinary Euclidean geometry, the equations for distance take on a...
between airports may therefore give an approximation of flight length.
However, a flight route will also take into account weather conditions, and air currents. A transcontinental flight in an Easterly direction will often take a more southerly route to take advantage of the jet stream
Jet stream
Jet streams are fast flowing, narrow air currents found in the atmospheres of some planets, including Earth. The main jet streams are located near the tropopause, the transition between the troposphere and the stratosphere . The major jet streams on Earth are westerly winds...
.
See also
- List of short-haul civilian aircraft post war
- List of short-haul regional airliners
- List of short-haul narrow-body airlinersNarrow-body aircraftA narrow-body aircraft is an airliner with a fuselage aircraft cabin width typically of 3 to 4 metres , and airline seat arranged 2 to 6 abreast along a single aisle...
- List of ultra long-haul civilian aircraft post war
- Regional airlinerRegional airlinerA regional airliner or a feederliner is a small airliner designed to fly up to 100 passengers on short-haul flights, usually feeding larger carriers' hubs from small markets. This class of airliners are typically flown by the regional airlines that are either contracted by or subsidiaries of the...
- Wide-body aircraftWide-body aircraftA wide-body aircraft is a large airliner with two passenger aisles, also known as a widebody aircraft or twin-aisle aircraft. The typical fuselage diameter is . In the typical wide-body economy cabin, passengers are seated seven to ten abreast, allowing a total capacity of 200 to 850 passengers...
- Non-stop flightNon-stop flightA non-stop flight, especially in the aviation industry, refers to any flight by an aircraft which does not involve any intermediate stops. A "direct flight" is not the same as a "non-stop flight"...
- Flight distance recordFlight distance record-Non-commercial powered aircraft:-Commercial aircraft:-Other types of aircraft:-References:* Mikesh, Robert C. and Abe, Shorzoe. Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941. London:Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-840-2....