On a sphere, the shortest distance between two points always follows a 'great circle'. That is, a circle that divides the sphere into two halves. It might seem, therefore, that planning the route an airplane follows is very simply a matter of following such a circle. However, the earth is much more complicated. Airlines must take into account dozens of variables, such as weather conditions, air traffic, political no-fly zones, fuel considerations, and the desirability of optimal flight paths. Complex computer algorithms are used to churn out flight paths, in a process known as flight planning. In some cases, the path an airline takes from A to B will be completely different from the one it takes from B to A.
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