# Why are different routes flown between the the same pair of airports?

On two of my trips (same airline, same kind of plane 777), I noticed that the airplane took very different routes (from New York to UAE).

1st Trip in 2012 (blue): Duration 11h 30m

2nd Trip in 2013 (green): Duration 13h 00m

I know that the blue line is the shorter distance, and probably also because of jet streams, it took lesser time. But why a plane would take this green route, even not considering jet streams?

Since I am not an important person, I could not ask the captain of the plane this question at the end of journey.

P.S.: I observed the flight paths on the entertainment system this airline has for all passengers.

• Since I am not an important person, I could not ask the captain of the plane this question at the end of journey - Actually, I don't think a pilot would mind you asking them this. Dec 28, 2013 at 4:57
• That might be correct, but approaching the pilot would be hard.
– Farhan
Dec 28, 2013 at 14:19
• @Lnafziger thats when you find the expat FO and bug him instead Feb 19, 2015 at 15:54
• @casey "bug" him... "BUG" him. I read that as "mug" him, and though that was and interesting way of extracting flight information... Feb 19, 2015 at 16:21
• It can be a matter of jetstreams, weather or that the pilot wanted to avoid part of the airspace due to sector taxes and/or restriction. @MarkyMark that is what it may seem, but you must account that the Earth is not a plane and orthodromic routes are shorter than lexodromic ones. Jun 5, 2015 at 11:17