Have you ever been on a plane? Have you noticed that on planes used for longer trips, the route is displayed and it is not a straight line? What is the reason for planes not to fly a straight line between their origin and destination, as this would apparently be the shortest route?
Airplane routes are not straight lines because of the curvature of the Earth and also because of other practical factors related to air navigation. Although on a flat map rectilinear routes appear to be the shortest way between two points, the Earth is a sphereand the shortest distance between two points on the surface of a sphere is called the "geodesic" or arc of a great circle. But there are other factors.
For example, a flight from New York to Madrid, shown on the website Best Destinations, gives a better idea of what we are talking about. Looking at the following example, it seems obvious that the fastest route is the straight line.
However, as we mentioned, the world does not have two dimensions. Considering the globe, it is possible to see that the route to use is certainly the geodesic route, as it is the shortest possible within a curvature.
The fact that the routes are not straight lines may also be due to the fact that planes can take advantage of or avoid wind currents, such as jet streams, which can increase fuel efficiency, reducing flight time.
Additionally, there are some countries or regions that have no-fly zones where commercial planes cannot fly for political or military reasons, requiring route diversions.
As a rule, airlines follow established air routes. These routes are pre-determined to facilitate air traffic control, ensuring safety and efficient use of airspace.
In short... plane routes are not a straight line. Airplane routes follow a combination of efficiency, safety and adaptation to practical airspace conditions.
Source: pplware.sapo.pt
