Intense jet stream has planes moving faster than the speed of sound on flights bound for Europe

The colder it gets, the faster they fly.

Commercial flights bound for Europe have been taking off late from the States but arriving on time or early, thanks to a more powerful jet stream, strengthened by the arctic air mass that settled along the East Coast last week.

A Virgin Atlantic flight that left from JFK International Airport this week an hour and 13 minutes after its scheduled take-off time nevertheless arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport right when it was supposed to land, reports the Washington Post.

Planes crossing the Atlantic Ocean can reach speeds of 840 mph as they’re carried by the jet stream. NurPhoto via Getty Images

The plane was in the air less than 30 minutes before reaching speeds of over 800 mph over the Atlantic.

Pilots have been exploiting the augmented jet stream to coast across the Atlantic Ocean at speeds of up to 840 mph — which is faster than the speed of sound, the outlet reported.

The planes didn’t break the sound barrier because it was the air moving them so quickly, not their engines. The report compared it to someone walking on a moving walkway at an airport – the person is moving faster because of the walkway, not because they’re walking faster.

The jet stream intensifies each winter as arctic winds meet equatorial warmth. phillips – stock.adobe.com

The jet stream had the reverse effect on westbound flights, according to the report.

Each winter, the jet stream intensifies. It also grows in strength at night, when the lower atmosphere starts to cool, which happens to be when many flights from the East Coast take off for overnight trips to Europe.