Paris to New York: what the CDG to JFK corridor looks like
- Departure
- Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France
- Arrival
- John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, the United States
- Great-circle distance
- 5,833 km (3,150 nm)
- Typical airborne time
- 7h 17m
- Usual cruise levels
- FL340 to FL400
- Initial track
- westbound
Route overview
The CDG to JFK sector connects Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, with John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the United States. Measured along the great circle the two airports are 5,833 km apart, roughly 3,150 nautical miles, which is close to 7h 17m in the air before winds and routing are taken into account. The initial track is westbound, and the middle of the route sits in mid latitude latitudes.
Jet stream along the track
Along the way the track passes over the open Atlantic and high latitude airspace where the polar jet stream lives. Most of the cruise on this corridor runs close to the polar jet stream. Clear air turbulence forms in the shear zone at the jet boundary, so crews watch the forecast wind field and pick the track and level that keep them clear of it. When bumps do appear they tend to arrive in short bands rather than lasting for hours.
Cruise altitudes on this sector
Long haul crews normally start cruise around FL340, then step climb toward FL380 or FL400 as the aircraft burns off fuel and can hold a higher level. Choice of level matters because turbulence is layered: a change of two or three thousand feet often puts the aircraft into calmer air, and that is one of the first adjustments a crew will request.
Seasonal pattern
Seasonally, the polar jet stream is strongest in the northern winter, so flights between November and March meet more clear air turbulence than the same route in June or September.
Flying this route with less worry
It is worth remembering that turbulence of the kind found on the CDG to JFK track is uncomfortable and entirely within what the aircraft is built for. Wings are designed to flex, the flight is planned around the forecast, and the crew adjusts level or track when it helps. The live forecast above shows the current picture for this corridor so there are fewer surprises on the day.