1
$\begingroup$

• Why fly from east to west takes longer time then flight form west to east and does this apply to both hemisphere?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
0

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1
$\begingroup$

This is simply due to the jet stream. High altitudes fast air current flowing west to east. Therefore if you are flying against them your ground speed is reduced and it takes more time to go from London to New York than the other way around. Jet stream exist in both hemisphere but they pass through middle latitude in Europe USA and Asia wherase they mostly circle Antarctica in the south. Thus making them less important for aviation. enter image description here

The jet stream is the main reason why the North Atlantic tracks are updated twice a day to ensure they are aligned at best with the winds to reduce flight time and fuel consumption.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Of course the "eastward is faster" isn't a general rule, it's a special case of being able to cover a distance faster if you have a tailwind rather than a headwind, which only applies if you're flying courses & altitudes that take you into a jet stream. At other places & altitudes, you might have a wind out of the east, which would make going west faster. $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    Commented Sep 30, 2020 at 17:24