Why Do Commercial Flights Fly At High Altitudes?

I t is perfectly normal and natural to feel insecure about traveling at such heights. However, there are numerous ways through which one can control this overwhelming feeling and the most basic is having accurate information about why commercial airplanes must travel at that altitude to prevent anxiety. The altitude at which aircrafts spend most of their flight is referred to as the cruising altitude. This is the altitude here a plane levels out after its take off. This altitude not only allows a plane to fly at greater efficiency but also prevents chances if colliding with another aircraft. Although commercial cruises occur at different levels, there are several reasons behind the extremely high cruising altitude. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for a plane to change its cruising altitude numerous times if it’s a long flight. Here are some reasons why commercial flights travel at high altitudes and why it is beneficial for aircrafts to fly at high altitudes than low altitudes. Air Becomes Thinner with an Increase in Altitude With an increase in altitude, the air present in the earth’s atmosphere gets thinner. When the air is thin, there is less resistance offered to flying objects. This means that there will be less friction on the commercial jet. As a result, much less energy and thrust is needed to move the airplane. This ultimately helps the jet fly more efficiently and at higher speeds thus burning less jet fuel. Less Weather Differentiation At cruising altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet, there are very few weather elements. As a result, this means that there is minimal weather differentiation which is a major cause of turbulence, a phenomena that most nervous fliers dread. At high cruising altitudes, the weather aspects that result into the occurrence of turbulences are minimal thus making high altitudes ideal for commercial airtravels. The above reasons explain why 30,000 to 40,000 feet is an optimal cruising altitude for most airtravels. This means there should be nothing to worry about high altitude flights since airlines take all safety precautions to guarantee a pleasurable and safe flight. [Photo: onthegotours.com]