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Why are airplanes slower than they used to be? - Alex Gendler

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TEDEd Animation

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In 1996, a British Airways plane flew from New York to London in a record-breaking two hours and fifty-three minutes. Today, however, passengers flying the same route can expect to spend no less than six hours in the air — twice as long. So why, in a world where everything seems to be getting faster, have commercial flights lagged behind? Alex Gendler details the problems facing supersonic flight.

About how long was the Concorde’s fastest transatlantic flight?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alex Gendler
  • Director Michael Kalopaidis, Alexia Roider
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Jeanne Bornet
  • Animator Maria Savva
  • Art Director Jeanne Bornet
  • Sound Designer Andreas Trachonitis
  • Producer Zedem Media, Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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