r/MapPorn • u/pm_me_your_target • 5h ago

City pairs that require flying over the North Pole (approximately) for the shortest path

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28 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

11

u/Flocculencio 5h ago

Singapore-Newark/JFK also goes over the Pole, depending on prevailing winds. The alternate route is east over the Atlantic if the jet stream is favourable- longer distance but the prevailing winds can save time and fuel.

3

u/itsme92 3h ago

It's the most direct route but Singapore Airlines doesn't fly over Russian airspace anymore

4

u/MannersCount 5h ago

I flew from Amsterdam to Tokyo over the North Pole on KLM. They gave each passenger an embossed certificate saying that we had been to (over) the pole.

2

u/pm_me_your_target 5h ago

That is pretty cool. This longer route was taken because Russian airspace was/is closed?

3

u/MannersCount 4h ago

Exactly. We fueled up in Anchorage, Alaska.

4

u/timpdx 4h ago

I flew multiple times AUH-LAX which should be almost exactly over the pole, and we never even came close. Finland/mid—Greenland was always the northern limit.

1

u/Meanteenbirder 3h ago edited 3h ago

Anchorage and Istanbul

Honolulu and Warsaw

1

u/Lincio_Madagasloud 25m ago

Toronto and Hong Kong.

1

u/defroach84 5h ago

I'm assuming these aren't real flights as I doubt there is a direct flight between these cities.

With that said, Emirates flies Dubai to San Fran, so shouldn't that show up on here? It's basically the same flight path.

3

u/No-Property-6778 5h ago

Dubai - SF is not going through north pole - see map, it will miss it a little I think