How Do Airlines Schedule So Many Flights, All At The Same Time?

by SharonKurheg

Every day, the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization provides service to more than 44,000 flights, for a total of 16.1+M flights per year. If you look at worldwide numbers, estimates from 2018 suggest that at times, there can be more than 200,000 flights per day in the sky. Here’s an example from 2018:

And here’s a typical day of flights to/from the United States:

It all looks kinda like a swarm of bees, huh?

Anyway, you’d think that all those planes flying to and from so many places all at the same time would have to be a logistical nightmare, right? Well, not really. Airlines have been doing this for a long time and their schedulers are really good at putting hubs, and even time change, not only to good use, but even to their advantage. Take a look…

I realize this is after 100ish years of history, experience, and trial & error. But still and all, WOW! I know I’d never be able to figure it all out. How about you?

*** Feature photo courtesy of YouTube feed of FlightRadar24

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

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