High winds are pushing flights’ speeds beyond 800 mph

International flights are facing a new challenge. Powerful, 265-mile-per-hour winds are pushing jets’ speeds beyond 800 miles per hour (mph), making them reach their destinations earlier than expected.

Over the weekend, five flights experienced record wind speeds that propelled these airplanes beyond the typical speeds of 500 to 600 mph at which commercial flights usually travel.

A Virgin Atlantic flight from Washington to London landed 45 minutes early, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

The reason? Jet streams
Climate change is intensifying jet stream winds. While such winds can benefit eastbound flights, they can cause turbulence and slower travel for westbound flights.

Researchers from the University of Chicago and the US National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR) predict faster jet stream winds in the future.

They expect a 2% increase in winds for every degree Celsius rise in temperature. 

Such increases could potentially reduce flight times. But it can also increase the frequency of severe weather events, causing more delays and cancellations in air travel.