Most flights are intended to spend as little time as possible over water, since storms are more common over the ocean than on land. An aircraft would not be safe to fly over the Pacific Ocean due to the stormy weather and frequent lightning strikes that occur there.
Most airplanes do not fly directly over the pacific but instead, fly a curved route hugging the shorelines of Asia and North America. Flights do cross parts of the Pacific Ocean when en route to places like Hawaii and the Cook Islands. Staying within safe flight range of land is always preferred.
Early aircraft engines did not have the reliability nor the power to lift the required fuel to make a transatlantic flight. There were difficulties navigating over the featureless expanse of water for thousands of miles, and the weather, especially in the North Atlantic, is unpredictable.
There are very few cases of airplanes flying over Antarctica. The rough weather conditions and low visibility make it extremely difficult to fly and land a plane over the continent.
The air is extremely thin in the stratosphere. Oxygen levels will be also low. This will cause air turbulence and uneasiness to the passengers. In addition to this, the force of the wind will be strong and the presence of mountains makes the manoeuvring of the aircraft even more difficult."
Australia is extremely far from the nearest location in the United States. This means that an airplane will spend a longer amount of time flying over water. Hazardous weather conditions and larger weather systems can occur over bodies of water. These include thunderstorms, which are extremely hazardous to flights.
The primary reason airplanes don't fly over the Pacific Ocean is because curved routes are shorter than straight routes. Flat maps are somewhat confusing because the Earth itself isn't flat. Rather, it's spherical. As a result, straight routes don't offer the shortest distance between two locations.
Risk Level: Two - Danger exists. The primary risk is from debris from missile re-entries striking aircraft overflying the oceanic part of the ZKKP/Pyongyang FIR over the Sea of Japan. North Korea regularly conducts unannounced missile tests in this area.
The short answer is, no, it's not illegal to fly over Antarctica. But there are practical considerations that make it challenging for regular airlines to navigate across the land. In many parts of Antarctica, there's limited or no infrastructure, no landing strips, and obviously no refuelling stations for planes.
Due to harsh conditions, extreme weather and no permanent population on the continent there are no regular passenger flights to Antarctica. Most flights transport research personnel and supply the bases.
As a result, flying over water really is no riskier than flying over land. So next time you take your seat for a flight across the Atlantic or Pacific, take comfort in knowing that rigorous plans have been put in place for the duration of your flight to ensure that you're kept safe.
Singapore Airlines has held the record for world's longest flight since 2016. Their trip from Singapore to New York is more than 9,500 miles.
23 November 1996: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 (a Boeing 767-260ER), ditched in the Indian Ocean near Comoros after being hijacked and running out of fuel, killing 125 of the 175 passengers and crew on board.
Crossing the Pacific Ocean
Currently there is only one jet that can cross the distance without stopping for fuel and that's the BBJ 777X, and it's one of the most expensive jets to charter privately. With that being said, a typical private jet charter wouldn't be able to cross the Pacific Ocean in a single shot.
The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench, which runs several hundred kilometers southwest of the U.S. territorial island of Guam. Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep.
It is difficult to fly from Australia to South America because of the sheer distance between the two continents. The flight would take over 20 hours, and even with multiple stops it can be a long journey.
The winter ice on the surface of Antarctica's Weddell Sea occasionally forms an enormous hole.
But we require wisdom teeth to be removed, only when they are abnormal,” McKeith explained. Dental infections can become dangerous quickly—so quickly that those who develop a wisdom tooth infection while in Antarctica may not be able to reach proper medical care before serious damage occurs.
Other than fly-over trips, it's very rare for travellers to go directly from Australia to Antarctica. This is mainly because the journey from Hobart, Australia to Antarctica usually takes between 10-14 days.
The polar route
Air India, for example, flies over Russia for its direct flights from India to the United States. Middle Eastern airlines, like Emirates, also continue to fly over Russia on their North American routes. Several of these carriers also serve Russian destinations.
Do not travel to Afghanistan due to armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, terrorism, and kidnapping. Travel to all areas of Afghanistan is unsafe and the risk of kidnapping or violence against U.S. citizens in Afghanistan is high.
Emirates said it was the “world's first cross-polar green flight.” By that, Emirates meant that the aircraft, already known for having better fuel-efficiency than older long-range planes, was routed near the North Pole to save about 2,000 gallons of carbon-emitting fuel.
Most commercial airlines that travel between East Asia and the Americas avoid flying over the Pacific Ocean due to high costs and safety concerns, such as the risk of flying during stormy weather.
It is the rotation of the Earth that is causing the longer flight times, but not because it's moving towards or away from the flying aircraft. It is instead due to its influence on wind patterns – the so-called high-altitude jet streams.
Trans Indian Ocean flights are flights that fly across the Indian Ocean. Trans Indian Ocean flights can fly between destinations in India, Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe.