WHY IT IS SO COSTLY FLYING SHORT DISTANCES - There is such a wide variation in fares between short haul and long haul flights. Aircraft are designed for very specific missions, from short haul to long haul, with flight times varying from about one hour to 18 hours. Short haul aircraft, which may perform eight flights a day, are heavier and thus more costly to operate per passenger because the structure must withstand many landing and takeoffs. Short haul aircraft tend to be smaller in size at about 180-seats and are thus less efficient than a 500-seat jumbo. The biggest impact is the basic costs of a flight which often are the same regardless of how far you fly. These include landing charges, security screening charges and many of an airline’s operational costs. Boeing once estimated that over 50% of the costs of an airline ticket was simply having the aircraft sitting on the tarmac waiting for passengers. The amount of fuel burnt to reach cruising altitude is very high compared to the amount used for the entire flight.

...................................................................................................................................................................

Flying Short Distances

WHY IS IT SO COSTLY TO FLY SHORT DISTANCES

By Airline Ratings

Aircraft weight and size

There is significant misunderstanding on why there is such a wide variation in fares between short haul and long haul flights.

Aircraft are designed for very specific missions, from short haul to long haul, with flight times varying from about one hour to 18 hours.

Short haul aircraft, which may perform eight flights a day, are heavier and thus more costly to operate per passenger because the structure must withstand many landing and takeoffs. 

Short haul aircraft tend to be smaller in size at about 180-seats and are thus less efficient than a 500-seat jumbo.

Basic costs

However, the biggest impact is the basic costs of a flight which often are the same regardless of how far you fly.

These include landing charges, security screening charges and many of an airline’s operational costs.

Boeing once estimated that over 50% of the costs of an airline ticket was simply having the aircraft sitting on the tarmac waiting for passengers.

Fuel cost

Finally, the amount of fuel burnt to reach cruising altitude is very high compared to the amount used for the entire flight.

For instance, on a four-hour flight of a 180-seat jet aircraft up to ¼ of the flight’s fuel is used in the first 20 minutes just getting to cruise altitude.

Airlineratings.com – The world’s best one-stop airline safety and product rating review website.

Have you ever wondered how safe the airline you are about to board is? Perhaps you have had niggling doubts, strong feelings or extreme anxiety about what lies ahead? In a world-first, www.airlineratings.com delivers expert safety ratings for more than 435 airlines around the world.

Airlineratings.com is packed with information about air travel and answers questions that many of us may have thought of, but didn’t know who to ask. Well now you do!

Airlineratings.com was developed to provide everyone in the world a one-stop-shop for everything related to airlines, formed by a team of aviation editors, who have forensically researched nearly every airline in the world.

https://www.airlineratings.com/did-you-know/why-is-it-so-costly-to-fly-short-distances/