Air travel enthusiasts may have noticed that very few flights across the Pacific Ocean are directly covered. Instead, most planes travel curved routes and pass over larger landmasses. But why is this? Let’s explore that.
Why Avoid Flying Over The Pacific Ocean?
The Pacific Ocean is quite large, so to traverse this ocean requires a great deal of fuel. Commercial aircraft usually take curved routes, which, curiously enough, are shorter than going straight across the ocean. Of course, because the Earth is a sphere, a straight line between any two points is not always the shortest distance between those points.
Safety is another main reason. There are more pilots who prefer flying over more land and having more airports, with the possibility of an emergency landing in case there is a problem. Flying over land provides better opportunities for emergency landing on flat surfaces, much safer than the ocean.
Avoiding the Tibetan Plateau
The Tibetan plateau is another area where pilots avoid going, mainly for its extreme heights. The very thin air of such altitudes affects the power output of engines.
The weather here is also usually very harsh and unpredictable. Aircraft can be threatened by strong winds, turbulence, and even thunderstorms.
Furthermore, the region’s rugged terrain, with mountain peaks reaching more than 7,000 meters, adds another layer of danger. In case of engine failure, options for a safe emergency landing are extremely limited, making the region a risky flight zone.