How Fast Do Planes Fly?

Last updated: April 2026

You're sitting in your seat as the aircraft accelerates down the runway, and within seconds you're lifting off the ground. Once you're airborne and climbing, you might wonder: how fast is this plane actually going? And the answer is more complicated than you might think.

There isn't a single speed at which planes fly. Aircraft move at very different speeds depending on what they're doing — taxiing, taking off, climbing, cruising, or landing. And the speed you experience inside the cabin is very different from the speed the aircraft is actually travelling through the air.

Here's everything you need to know about how fast planes fly.

How Fast Do Commercial Planes Fly at Cruise?

The typical cruising speed of a commercial passenger aircraft is between 450 and 560 knots (520 to 645 mph, or 830 to 1,040 km/h).

In terms of Mach number — the ratio of the aircraft's speed to the speed of sound — this is roughly Mach 0.78 to Mach 0.85. Most commercial jets are designed to cruise at around Mach 0.80, which is about 80% of the speed of sound.

Here's how the most common commercial aircraft compare:

These speeds represent the aircraft's true airspeed — its actual speed through the air mass it's flying through. This is different from the speed you might see on a speedometer in a car, because the air itself is moving (wind).

Ground Speed vs. Airspeed: Why It Matters

This is one of the most confusing aspects of aircraft speed, and it explains why a flight from London to New York takes longer than a flight from New York to London.

Airspeed is how fast the aircraft is moving through the air around it. This is what the pilots primarily monitor and what the aircraft's instruments measure.

Ground speed is how fast the aircraft is moving relative to the ground. This is what determines your actual travel time.

The difference between the two is wind. If you're flying with a tailwind (wind blowing in the same direction as the aircraft), your ground speed is higher than your airspeed. If you're flying into a headwind, your ground speed is lower.

The jet stream — a fast-flowing river of air in the upper atmosphere — can create enormous differences. On a westbound transatlantic flight into a strong headwind, ground speed can be 100 knots or more below airspeed, adding an hour or more to the flight. On an eastbound flight with a tailwind, ground speed can be 100 knots or more above airspeed, significantly shortening the flight.

This is why the same route can have very different flight times depending on the direction and the weather.

How Fast Do Planes Fly During Different Phases of Flight?

An aircraft doesn't fly at one constant speed throughout a flight. Here's how speed varies:

Taxiing

Before takeoff and after landing, aircraft taxi on the ground at around 15 to 20 knots (17 to 23 mph). This is roughly the same speed as a car on a residential street.

Takeoff

During takeoff roll, the aircraft accelerates to its rotation speed — the speed at which the pilot pulls back on the controls and the aircraft lifts off the runway. For a typical commercial aircraft, this is around 150 to 170 knots (170 to 195 mph / 275 to 315 km/h). Heavier aircraft or aircraft operating from high-altitude airports need higher rotation speeds.

Climb

After lifting off, the aircraft continues to accelerate as it climbs. It typically climbs at around 250 to 300 knots (290 to 345 mph) below 10,000 feet, where there are regulatory speed restrictions. Above 10,000 feet, it continues accelerating until it reaches its cruise speed.

Cruise

Once the aircraft reaches its cruise altitude, it settles at its optimal cruising speed, typically 450 to 560 knots (520 to 645 mph). This speed is chosen to balance fuel efficiency with travel time.

Descent

The aircraft begins its descent by reducing engine power and deploying speed brakes or spoilers to control its rate of descent. It typically descends at around 300 to 400 knots (345 to 460 mph) above 10,000 feet, then slows to 250 knots below 10,000 feet, and finally to 200 knots or less within 5 nautical miles of the airport.

Landing

On final approach, the aircraft is flying at around 130 to 160 knots (150 to 185 mph), depending on its weight and configuration. When the wheels touch the runway, the ground speed is typically in the range of 130 to 170 knots (150 to 195 mph).

How Fast Do Different Types of Aircraft Fly?

Not all aircraft fly at the same speed. Here's a comparison across different types:

Commercial airliners

As detailed above, most cruise at 450–560 knots (520–645 mph).

Private jets

Private jets vary by model:

Military aircraft

Military aircraft fly at extremes:

The Concorde (retired)

The Concorde, which operated from 1976 to 2003, cruised at Mach 2.04 — just over twice the speed of sound. This gave it a cruising speed of around 1,350 mph (2,180 km/h), which meant a transatlantic flight from London or Paris to New York took just 3 hours and 20 minutes — less than half the time of a conventional flight.

Propeller aircraft

Smaller propeller-driven aircraft fly much slower:

Can Planes Fly Faster Than Sound?

Yes, but not commercial passenger aircraft.

The speed of sound (Mach 1) varies depending on altitude and temperature, but at typical cruise altitude it's roughly 660 mph (1,060 km/h / 570 knots).

Supersonic flight — flying faster than the speed of sound — creates a shock wave that produces a sonic boom on the ground. This is why supersonic flight over land is restricted in most countries. The Concorde was allowed to fly supersonic over the ocean but had to slow to subsonic speeds when over land.

No current commercial passenger aircraft is certified for supersonic flight. The next generation of supersonic airliners is being developed by several companies, but none are in service as of 2026.

What Is the Fastest Commercial Flight?

The record for the fastest scheduled commercial flight is held by the Concorde, which covered the distance between New York and London in 2 hours 52 minutes on a routine basis, with a record flight of 2 hours 52 minutes and 59 seconds in 1990. This was an average speed of around 840 mph (1,354 km/h), taking advantage of a strong tailwind.

Among subsonic aircraft, eastbound flights across the Atlantic can benefit enormously from the jet stream. A flight from Los Angeles to New York with a strong tailwind can complete the journey in around 5 hours — roughly an hour faster than the westbound flight takes against a headwind.

Why Don't Planes Fly Faster?

If fighter jets can fly at supersonic speeds, why don't commercial aircraft?

Fuel efficiency: Jet engines are most efficient at subsonic speeds. Flying faster significantly increases fuel consumption. A commercial aircraft flying at Mach 1.5 would use roughly three times as much fuel as at Mach 0.8.

Noise: Sonic booms are extremely loud — equivalent to a small explosion. Flying supersonic over populated areas would be disruptive and is banned in most countries.

Cost: The Concorde was incredibly expensive to operate, partly because of its high fuel consumption. Ticket prices were so high that the aircraft could never achieve the passenger volumes needed to make it economically viable at scale.

Infrastructure: Supersonic aircraft require different runways, maintenance facilities, and air traffic management procedures. The entire commercial aviation infrastructure is designed around subsonic flight.

How Can You Check the Speed of a Plane in Real Time?

If you're curious about how fast a specific aircraft is flying, a plane tracking app gives you the answer immediately.

What Plane shows the nearest aircraft to your location, including its ground speed, airspeed (where available), altitude, heading, and route. When you see a plane overhead, open the app and you'll know exactly how fast it's travelling — and you can watch the speed change as it climbs, cruises, and descends.

The home-screen widget means you can see the speed of the nearest aircraft at a glance, without even opening the app. It's a great way to connect what you see in the sky with the real data behind it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the same flight take different amounts of time? Wind is the main factor. Eastbound flights across the Atlantic often have a strong tailwind from the jet stream, which increases ground speed and shortens flight time. Westbound flights fight a headwind, which reduces ground speed and lengthens flight time. The difference can be as much as an hour or more on long-haul routes.

How fast do planes go when they take off? Rotation speed (the speed at which the aircraft lifts off) is typically 150–170 knots (170–195 mph) for a commercial airliner. This varies depending on the aircraft's weight, runway length, and conditions.

Can you feel the speed of a plane inside the cabin? No. Inside the cabin, you can't feel the aircraft's speed at all. You can feel acceleration (when the plane speeds up during takeoff) and deceleration (when the pilot reduces power), and you can feel turbulence (when the air around the aircraft is irregular), but the constant high-speed motion itself is imperceptible. This is because you, the aircraft, and the air inside the cabin are all moving at the same speed.

How fast does a plane land? On final approach, a commercial airliner flies at around 130–160 knots (150–185 mph). When the wheels touch the runway, the ground speed is typically 130–170 knots (150–195 mph), depending on the aircraft type and weight.

The Bottom Line

Commercial passenger aircraft fly at surprisingly consistent speeds — typically 450 to 560 knots (520 to 645 mph) at cruise. But the actual speed over the ground can vary significantly depending on wind, meaning the same flight can take noticeably different amounts of time on different days.

The fastest commercial aircraft ever built — the Concorde — flew at twice the speed of sound, but the economics and noise restrictions of supersonic travel mean that subsonic flight remains the standard for commercial aviation.

If you want to know exactly how fast a plane is flying right now, What Plane shows you the speed of the nearest aircraft to your location in real time.

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