Why do planes not fly the shortest routes? A review

Frédéric Dobruszkes

ULB Institutional Repository from ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles

Abstract: Scholars and experts in air transport generally assume the distance flown between airports is the shortest route (also known as the great-circle distance or the orthodromic route). Howev-er, in the real world, planes follow longer itineraries. This paper reviews the factors of de-tours, based on interviews with pilots and experts in air navigation. Factors relate to (1) technical constraints, (2) natural processes (including meteorological conditions) and obsta-cles, (3) geopolitical factors and (4) social factors, which are all explored in this paper. Their temporary vs. permanent and spatial impact (small vs. long detours) varies signifi-cantly among factors and among cases, as well as their avoidable nature. Appropriate poli-cies could lower detours. In addition, these results echo academic debates on the meaning of distance.

Keywords: Air transport geography; Airline routes; Detours; Distance flown; Great-circle distance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-07-31
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo and nep-tre
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published in: Applied geography (2019) v.109,p.102033

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