How many people are in the air right now?
Dec 2, 2003, 8:23 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,083
How many people are in the air right now?
Anyone care to estimate the number of people that are currently in the air worldwide in comercial, military, private, and space aircraft?
If you know numbers for the USA also post those.
If you know numbers for the USA also post those.
Dec 2, 2003, 11:37 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
It's a Tuesday, so the numbers will be much smaller than yesterday or next Friday. 
Here's an educated wild-... guess:
250,000 in the USA plus another 500,000 worldwide for a total of 750,000 people in the air at this moment.
Out of 6.333 billion people worldwide, 750k is not very many. But then again, total daily passengers worldwide may equal 4 or 5 million people. Not insignificant.
Here's an educated wild-... guess:
250,000 in the USA plus another 500,000 worldwide for a total of 750,000 people in the air at this moment.
Out of 6.333 billion people worldwide, 750k is not very many. But then again, total daily passengers worldwide may equal 4 or 5 million people. Not insignificant.
Dec 2, 2003, 12:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: London, England.
Programs: BA
Posts: 8,476
Would probably take a day or so to work through this (and I am not going to right now!) but probably something along these lines.
Start with a World Airliner Census (there are several available).
Take 800 Boeing 747 (worldwide fleet), times (390 (average number of seats times) times 75% (average load factor)), times 13/24 (because they average 13 hours a day in the air.
Gives number of people up in a 747 at any one time. Result = 126,750.
Repeat for all other types. Actually not that many. Then throw something in for General Aviation and Military (these latter two spend over 95% of their time on the ground).
Challenge for somebody with nothing to do !
Start with a World Airliner Census (there are several available).
Take 800 Boeing 747 (worldwide fleet), times (390 (average number of seats times) times 75% (average load factor)), times 13/24 (because they average 13 hours a day in the air.
Gives number of people up in a 747 at any one time. Result = 126,750.
Repeat for all other types. Actually not that many. Then throw something in for General Aviation and Military (these latter two spend over 95% of their time on the ground).
Challenge for somebody with nothing to do !