How fast planes fly depends on the type. For example, big airliners cruise at about Mach 0.78 to 0.85, or roughly 450 to 490 knots (520 to 565 mph, 830 to 910 km/h). By contrast, a Cessna 172 trainer cruises near 115 to 125 knots (130 to 145 mph), while fast business jets reach about 530 knots.
Convert Plane Speeds Between Knots, mph and km/h
Pilots, flight trackers and airline websites rarely use the same unit, however. So type any speed below and pick the unit you have. After that, the converter uses the exact definitions: 1 knot is 1.852 km/h, and 1 mile is 1.609344 km.
A plane’s speed sounds like one simple number. In practice, however, there are several. For example, the cockpit shows indicated airspeed, the flight plan uses true airspeed, and the seatback map shows ground speed. On top of that, jets at high altitude also think in Mach, a fraction of the speed of sound.
Indeed, the conversions are fixed. First, a knot is one nautical mile per hour, and the international nautical mile is exactly 1,852 meters. As a result, 1 knot is about 1.151 mph. Mach, however, is different, because the speed of sound falls as the air gets colder. NASA describes Mach number as the ratio of an aircraft’s speed to the speed of sound in the surrounding air.
How Fast Planes Fly: Speed Chart by Aircraft Type
Next, the table lists typical cruise speeds. In addition, airliner figures are true airspeed at about 35,000 feet on a standard day. Small-plane figures come from published cruise data, so real flights often run a little slower.
| Aircraft | Typical cruise | mph | km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna 172 (trainer) | 114-124 kt | 131-143 | 211-230 |
| Cirrus SR22 (fast piston single) | about 183 kt | 211 | 339 |
| ATR 72 (regional turboprop) | about 275 kt | 316 | 509 |
| Dash 8-400 (fast turboprop) | about 360 kt | 414 | 667 |
| Airbus A320, Boeing 737 MAX | Mach 0.78-0.79, about 450 kt | 518 | 833 |
| Boeing 787, Airbus A350, A380 | Mach 0.85, about 490 kt | 564 | 907 |
| Gulfstream G650 (top cruise) | Mach 0.925, about 530 kt | 614 | 987 |
| Concorde (retired 2003) | Mach 2.04, about 1,176 kt | 1,354 | 2,179 |
The SKYbrary aircraft database, run for the aviation safety community, lists the Boeing 787-8 at Mach 0.85 and 490 knots true, with an approach speed of about 140 knots. In short, the jump from a light trainer to a long-haul jet is roughly four times the speed.
Recommended Tools for Measuring Flight Speed
Today, student pilots still learn to work out true airspeed, wind correction and ground speed by hand. First, a flight computer (the classic E6B or an electronic version) does that math. Next, a handheld GPS shows ground speed directly. Finally, a pocket weather meter measures wind and temperature, which both change how fast a plane moves over the ground.
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How Fast Planes Fly at Takeoff, Cruise and Landing
In fact, a jet spends only part of each trip at cruise speed. Here is a typical flight, with the speeds pilots read on the airspeed indicator during takeoff and landing.
| Phase | Airliner (A320 / 787) | Cessna 172 |
|---|---|---|
| Liftoff / takeoff safety speed | V2 about 145 kt (167 mph) / 165 kt (190 mph) | rotates near 55 kt (63 mph) |
| Climb below 10,000 ft | 250 kt indicated maximum (288 mph) in the US | about 75-85 kt |
| Cruise | Mach 0.78-0.85, about 450-490 kt true | 114-124 kt true |
| Final approach | about 137-140 kt (158-161 mph) | about 60-70 kt |
Notably, the 250-knot figure is a rule, not a habit. Under the FAA’s 14 CFR 91.117, no aircraft may exceed 250 knots indicated below 10,000 feet, and lower limits apply close to many airports. Because of that limit, jets accelerate to cruise speed only after they pass 10,000 feet.
IAS, TAS and Ground Speed: Which Speed Is Which?
Most confusion about plane speed comes from mixing three different measurements. So this table separates them.
| Speed | What it measures | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| Indicated airspeed (IAS) | Air pressure in the pitot tube, shown as knots | Cockpit airspeed indicator; speed limits |
| True airspeed (TAS) | Actual speed through the air mass | Flight plans, aircraft specs |
| Ground speed (GS) | Speed over the ground: TAS plus or minus wind | GPS, flight trackers, seatback maps |
| Mach number | TAS divided by the local speed of sound | Jet cockpits above about 25,000-30,000 ft |
Thin air pushes less on the pitot tube; therefore, IAS reads low at altitude. As a result, a common rule of thumb adds about 2 percent per 1,000 feet to get TAS. For example, 280 knots indicated at 35,000 feet works out to about Mach 0.82, or roughly 473 knots true on a standard day.
Why Pilots Use Knots Instead of mph
Notably, aviation inherited the knot from ships. Also, a nautical mile is close to one minute of latitude, so charts and distances fit together neatly. Today, though, the definition is exact: 1 nautical mile is 1,852 meters, so 1 knot equals 1.852 km/h, or about 1.151 mph.
In other words, to convert in your head, add about 15 percent to knots to get mph. Similarly, multiply knots by 1.85 to get km/h. Our guide to how fast a knot is covers the history of the unit in more detail.
Mach Number and the Speed of Sound
Mach 1, by contrast, is not one fixed speed. Instead, it depends on air temperature. At sea level on a standard 15 C (59 F) day, sound travels at about 661 knots (761 mph, 1,225 km/h). At 35,000 feet, however, the standard temperature is about -54 C, so Mach 1 drops to about 576 knots (663 mph, 1,068 km/h).
For this reason, jets fly by Mach number at cruise. Drag rises sharply as airflow over the wing nears the speed of sound, so airliners stay around Mach 0.78 to 0.85. Meanwhile, NASA groups flight into subsonic (below Mach 1), transonic (near Mach 1), supersonic (Mach 1 to 5) and hypersonic (above Mach 5). For more on sound itself, see how fast the speed of sound is.
How to Work Out Your Flight’s Ground Speed
Even without a GPS, you can also check average ground speed for any trip with two numbers and the converter above.
- Find the distance. Look up the great-circle distance between the two airports in miles or nautical miles.
- Note the airborne time. Use wheels-up to wheels-down time, not gate-to-gate time.
- Convert the time to hours. For instance, 6 hours 30 minutes is 6.5 hours.
- Divide distance by time. New York JFK to London Heathrow is about 3,442 miles (2,991 nautical miles). In 6.5 hours, that is about 530 mph, or 460 knots.
- Convert the result. Enter it in the converter to see knots, km/h or m/s.
- Compare it with cruise speed. A lower average is normal, because climb and descent are slow and headwinds subtract speed.
How Fast Planes Fly at the Extreme: Speed Records
A few aircraft have gone far beyond airliner speeds:
- Bell X-1 (1947). Chuck Yeager flew it past Mach 1 for the first time in level flight.
- North American X-15 (1967). This rocket plane reached Mach 6.7, about 4,520 mph (7,274 km/h).
- Lockheed SR-71 (1976). The National Museum of the US Air Force lists its absolute speed record of 2,193.167 mph (about 3,530 km/h), still the jet-powered record.
- Concorde (1976-2003). The supersonic airliner cruised at Mach 2.04 and crossed the Atlantic in about 3.5 hours.
For military jets, in contrast, published figures are rounded. The US Air Force calls the F-22 a Mach 2 class fighter and rates the F-35 at about Mach 1.6. Meanwhile, big bombers such as the B-52 are subsonic at about 650 mph. Compared with a rifle round, even the SR-71 is slow; see how fast a bullet travels.
Do and Don’t When Reading Flight Speeds
Do
- Check the unit: knots, mph or km/h.
- Say which speed you mean: indicated, true or ground.
- Expect ground speed to change with wind.
- Quote Mach together with an altitude.
- Use the aircraft manual for flying numbers.
Don’t
- Compare a seatback ground speed with a spec-sheet TAS.
- Assume Mach 1 is 761 mph at cruise altitude.
- Treat top speed as cruise speed.
- Read km/h as mph on foreign tracker sites.
- Average gate-to-gate time when you want flight speed.
Honest Limits of Published Speeds
Overall, every number on this page is typical, not exact. For instance, airlines pick a cruise Mach for fuel cost, so the same jet may fly a little slower on one route than on another. Also, true airspeed for a given Mach changes with temperature, and real days are rarely standard. Moreover, wind matters even more: a 150-knot tailwind turns 490 knots true into 640 knots (about 736 mph) over the ground. In short, use these figures for comparison, and treat any single flight as a variation on them.
When Accuracy Really Matters
For trivia and travel planning, however, rounded numbers are fine. Pilots, on the other hand, need exact figures, because stall speed, rotation speed and speed limits all apply to indicated airspeed for a specific weight and configuration. Student pilots should therefore practice the conversions until they are automatic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does wind change how fast planes fly?
Wind does not change speed through the air, but it changes ground speed. A tailwind adds to true airspeed and a headwind subtracts from it, which is why eastbound flights across the Atlantic are often shorter.
Does altitude change how fast planes fly?
Yes. In thinner air, a jet also flies faster for the same indicated airspeed and burns less fuel. That is why airliners cruise at roughly 31,000 to 41,000 feet.
What is the takeoff speed of a passenger jet?
Most airliners lift off at about 130 to 165 knots, or roughly 150 to 190 mph. Even so, the exact speed depends on weight, flap setting and runway conditions.
Do pilots measure how fast planes fly in knots or mph?
Pilots use knots almost everywhere, and they also use Mach number at high altitude. One knot is exactly 1.852 km/h, or about 1.151 mph.
How fast is Mach 1 in mph?
At sea level on a standard day, Mach 1 is about 761 mph (1,225 km/h). At 35,000 feet, however, it is only about 663 mph, because the air is much colder.
Is there a limit on how fast planes fly near airports?
Yes. In the US, aircraft must stay at or below 250 knots indicated under 10,000 feet. In addition, near many Class C and D airports, the limit is 200 knots.
Why don’t airliners fly faster?
First, drag and fuel burn climb steeply as a plane nears the speed of sound. Above Mach 1, sonic booms also limit where a jet may fly, so airlines settle around Mach 0.78 to 0.85.
How fast does a small plane like a Cessna 172 fly?
A Cessna 172 cruises at about 114 to 124 knots true, or roughly 131 to 143 mph. Meanwhile, faster piston singles such as the Cirrus SR22 cruise near 183 knots.
Does a seatback map show how fast planes fly?
It shows ground speed, which includes the wind. Therefore, a reading of 650 mph usually means a strong tailwind, not a faster jet.
What is the fastest plane ever flown?
The rocket-powered X-15 reached Mach 6.7, about 4,520 mph, in 1967. For jet-powered aircraft, on the other hand, the SR-71 holds the record at 2,193.167 mph, set in 1976.
How Fast Planes Fly: The Bottom Line
To sum up, most airliners cruise at about 450 to 490 knots, which is roughly 520 to 565 mph or 830 to 910 km/h. By contrast, small trainers fly at a quarter of that, and business jets push past 600 mph. Only military and research aircraft, however, have gone much faster.
Finally, remember which number you are looking at. In short, indicated airspeed keeps a plane flying, true airspeed describes the aircraft, and ground speed tells you when you will land. For any speed you want to convert, the calculator at the top of this page does the math in knots, mph and km/h.
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