Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Planes flew faster in 1986?

According to a column by Pamela Paul of the New York Times, in 1986 the estimated flying time for an American Airlines flight between Kennedy Airport and the Los Angeles Airport was about five hours and 30 minutes. 


Today the flying time for the same flight is estimated to be six hours and 23 minutes.  


In 1987 the Department of Transportation began to require on-time arrival statistics which are now posted on-line.  By doing what is called “schedule padding,” the airline can appear to be on-time more than its rivals.  The pilot can also announce, “Looks like we’ll be arriving early, folks.”

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