ABSTRACTEDhighway
in the sky
26 SPRING 2019 • POPSCI.COMSOURCE:^ FLIGHTRADAR^24 .COMRUSSIA
Prior to 1991, these paths connecting Europe
and East Asia didn’t exist. The Soviet Union
forbade foreign aircraft from flying directly
over Siberia, so routes in that region went
through Anchorage. Airlines now frequently pay
Russia a steep premium so they can skip the
detour and shave off precious flight time.
DUBAI
The UAE’s position on the globe allows the
Emirates’ airlines to fly from any number of
Western nations and connect through to reach
Australia and New Zealand. That placement
between Europe and Oceania helps make
Dubai’s airport the third busiest globally—and
No. 1 in international traffic.OCEANIA
Even though nonstop flights don’t save on fuel
costs—extra gas means more weight, which
takes more fuel to carry—increased demand
from passengers is making lengthy routes more
and more common. Trips from Oceania to the
Middle East and Europe are often sold out
despite 17- plus- hour durations.THERE’S AN AERIAL EXPRESS LANE 100 MILES WIDE STRETCHING
above the Atlantic, where more than a thousand planes criss-
cross the jet stream’s 150 mph winds. Spotty radar coverage
over the ocean calls for predetermined routes, creating a
consistent traffi c pattern. Here’s the resulting skyway—which
can shave an hour off a trip from North America to Europe—
and the rest of the 125,798 fl ight paths blazed every night.text and infographic by Sara Chodosh