Why Are Airplane Routes Curved?

There are questions that travelers often ponder, perhaps without ever finding the answer. One of these could be about airplane routes that we never see as straight lines connecting one point on the map to another, but rather as curves. From our perspective, it seems like aircraft make a longer and more complicated journey to reach their destination, but the truth is that this is not the case.

There is an explanation for this curvature, and the trajectory also has a name, which is orthodromy, but do they really follow that direction?

This explains the routes that airplanes take and why they are represented this way.

It has happened to anyone who has boarded a plane, as well as those who have followed the journeys of friends and family on dedicated apps: indeed, when observing the routes, one notices a particular detail: they are not straight lines but curves.

And no, this is not an error nor a longer path. It is called, in fact, orthodromy, and it is the trajectory, generally the shortest possible, that connects the departure airport to the arrival airport. The fact that it is not straight is simply due to the Earth's spherical shape, and for this reason, the shortest path can only be represented this way. In practice, however, the airplane follows a straight path and generally the fastest one. Although there are exceptions.

If there is a curve that is more comfortable and faster to reach the destination, it is also true that it is not always the one taken by aircraft. In fact, the flight route is plotted taking into account other factors such as weather: if the winds are favorable or if there are any turbulations, then it might be advisable to modify the route. The same applies to war zones or areas at risk of conflict, over which flights do not occur.

There are many factors that influence that "curved" line we see on the map, including the paths taken by other aircraft since the sky is very busy, just like a freeway, and airplanes must move within specific routes to avoid accidents.

Considering all the most important details, which, we repeat, include weather, countries being flown over, and the routes of other planes, the orthodromy will be plotted. It will always appear as a curved line, but only because the Earth is spherical. However, be careful, this is just a representation; in reality, it is an ellipsoid, which means it is slightly flattened at the poles.

Besides the shape of the Earth, which determines the representation of flight trajectories, there are other curiosities that those who board a plane may not always know.

For example, the shape of the windows, which are designed this way not for aesthetic reasons: the portholes are oval because they can counteract decompression and prevent cracks, while the green and red lights on the wings serve to make the aircraft more visible during the night.

Another thing to know, which may reassure many, is that the emergency door cannot be opened during flight due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside. Similarly, you cannot remain locked in the bathroom: an external lever allows the crew to open the door in case of emergency.