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Commercial air travel today is slightly slower than in the 1960s, with a cruising speed of around 500 knots. The Boeing 707 had a cruising speed of 525 knots, and modern planes are not designed to go much faster due to fuel consumption and sonic booms. The Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 have larger capacities than the 190-passenger Boeing 707. NASA is designing aircraft with less disruptive sonic booms, and the Concorde operated from 1976 to 2003 with a top speed of over 1,350 miles per hour.
Most modern commercial air travel is actually slightly slower on average than it was in the 1960s. Cruising speed for today’s airlines is around 500 knots (575 miles per hour). However, 525 knots (600 miles per hour) was the specified cruising speed for the Boeing 707, which was the first commercially successful airliner. Modern planes aren’t designed to go much faster than that because an increase in speed consumes expensive fuel. Also, at 667 knots (770 miles per hour) an aircraft would reach supersonic speed, causing a sonic boom. While there have been commercial flights that have deliberately violated supersonic speeds, many countries have restricted the use of this in their airspace, making it impractical for most airlines.
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The Boeing 707 had a capacity of approximately 190 passengers (depending on the model). The Boeing 747 seats up to 660 passengers, while the Airbus A380 seats up to approximately 850.
NASA is currently working on designing aircraft that will emit a less disruptive sonic boom if the sound barrier is breached.
Concorde was a supersonic passenger airliner that operated from 1976 to 2003. Its top speed was over 1,350 miles per hour and it could fly from London to New York in two hours.
