Originally Posted by rkkwan

Not necessarily. Flights like DEL use specific routes like those B365, B923, A368, etc and pass through specific waypoints, so it only approximate the Great Circle route, but not entirely.

Or like flights back from China. They often just ride the jetstream in northern Pacific, which is way south of, and much longer than, the Great Circle route. But because of the jetstream, that's the fastest and most efficient way to get back.