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Commercial aviation: questions and answers
Commercial aviation: the most searched Aviation questions, with a direct answer, an explanation and sources.
Commercial aviation
Why do private jets fly higher?
Business jets are certified for higher ceilings than most airliners, typically 13,700 to 15,500 m (45,000-51,000 ft), because their light wing loading and… more…
Commercial aviation
Why is the a320 so popular?
Because it made narrowbody flying cheap to operate and cheap to staff. The A320 family has taken more than 18,000 orders since 1984, on the strength of… more…
Commercial aviation
Why do airlines overbook flights?
Because a predictable share of passengers never turn up. Airlines sell a few more seats than the cabin has, using historical no-show rates by route, fare type… more…
Commercial aviation
Why is the boeing 747 being retired?
Mainly economics. Two modern engines burn less fuel than four and, thanks to ETOPS rules, twins like the 777 and 787 may now fly the same long oceanic routes… more…
Commercial aviation
What does the airbus a380 weigh?
The A380-800 is certified to a maximum take-off weight of 575 tonnes (1,268,000 lb), the highest of any airliner. Empty it weighs about 277 tonnes, and it may… more…
Commercial aviation
How much does the a320 cost?
Airbus stopped publishing list prices in 2018. In that final catalogue the A320neo was $110.6 million, the outgoing A320ceo $101.0 million and the A321neo… more…
Commercial aviation
How far can the 737 max fly?
Between roughly 3,100 and 3,800 nautical miles (5,740-7,040 km) depending on the variant. Boeing quotes 3,550 nmi (6,570 km) for the 737 MAX 8, 3,800 nmi… more…
Commercial aviation
What does commercial flights mean?
A commercial flight is any flight operated for payment, carrying passengers, cargo or mail for hire or reward. Regulators call this commercial air transport… more…
Commercial aviation
Why is the a320 ptu so loud?
That barking is the A320's power transfer unit. The PTU lets the green hydraulic system drive the yellow one, or the reverse, by mechanically coupling a pump… more…
Commercial aviation
What is the airbus a380 800?
The A380-800 is the only version of the Airbus A380 ever built: a four-engine, full-length double-deck widebody, the largest passenger aircraft in airline… more…
Commercial aviation
Why are commercial flights safer than private?
Because they are two different systems, not two kinds of flying. General aviation in the United States runs at roughly 0.9 fatal accidents per 100,000 flight… more…
Commercial aviation
How fast does the a320 go?
An Airbus A320 cruises at about Mach 0.78, roughly 830 km/h (450 kn) true airspeed at 35,000 ft (10,700 m). Airbus gives a maximum operating speed of Mach… more…
Commercial aviation
Why is the a320 so loud?
The whistle is not the engines. A320s built before 2014 have small fuel overpressure vents under each wing that behave like a blown bottle, emitting a pure… more…
Commercial aviation
Why is the 737 max 7 not certified?
The MAX 7 is waiting on one specific fix: its CFM LEAP-1B inlet can overheat if engine anti-ice is left on in dry air, a hazard the FAA now limits in service… more…
Commercial aviation
Why is the 737 max 10 not certified?
It is last in the queue and blocked by problems it did not create. Boeing must first deliver a permanent fix for the LEAP-1B engine anti-ice inlet, an issue… more…
Commercial aviation
How much does the 737 max 8 cost?
Boeing's last published price list, in 2019, put the 737 MAX 8 at $121.6 million. The figure no longer means much: Boeing publishes no list prices now, and… more…
Commercial aviation
How fast does the boeing 747 fly?
A Boeing 747 cruises at about Mach 0.85, roughly 900 km/h (490 kn) true airspeed at 35,000 ft (10,700 m). The 747-8 is quoted by Boeing at a typical cruise of… more…
Commercial aviation
How much does the 737 max cost?
Boeing has not published list prices since 2019. In that final list the 737 MAX 7 was $99.7 million, the MAX 8 $121.6 million, the MAX 9 $128.9 million and… more…
Commercial aviation
How much fuel does the airbus a380 hold?
The A380-800 holds up to 320,000 litres (84,500 US gal) of jet fuel, spread across tanks in the wings, the centre section and the horizontal stabiliser. At a… more…
Commercial aviation
What is the 737 max 8?
The 737 MAX 8 is Boeing's re-engined single-aisle airliner, the best-selling member of the 737 MAX family. It pairs a 737-800 fuselage with CFM LEAP-1B… more…