Explore the world from the air
Have you ever found yourself in an aircraft gazing out of the cabin window in wonder at the world thousands of metres below?
Scroll through and choose an interactive flight path guide from the bar above and start exploring the world's most interesting aerial routes.
Or select the "Themes" tab on the right for different ways to explore the world from the air.
Send us your own amazing photos of the places that we have explored and help us build a catalogue of journeys that everyone can share.
Explore the world from the air
Have you ever found yourself in an aircraft gazing out of the cabin window in wonder at the world thousands of metres below?
Click on a theme from the bar above and explore some of the common geographical features that are seen from plane windows across the world every day.
Themes range from natural to human geography, including caves, cities, volcanoes and railways.
Singapore to Jakarta
Start exploring the flight path from Singapore to Jakarta by clicking the button below, or choose a specific place of interest to start at by clicking on an image below.
Every year, millions of passengers fly the short journey between two of Southeast Asia’s largest cities, Singapore and Jakarta.
Although a mere 900km, this flight path crosses thousands of islands that lie scattered along the east coast of Sumatra. Each type of island formation can be seen on this flight, from the volcanic Riau Islands to the continental islands of Bangka and Belitung and the coral islands of Kepulauan Seribu (the Thousand Islands).
The colonial history of the region echoes through each of the points along this journey; however, today it is the two global cities that bookend the flight path which exert their influence over the regions that lie between them as Singapore and Indonesia change and adapt to accommodate their growing economies and populations.
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from Singapore to Jakarta
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Frankfurt to Baku
Start exploring the flight path from Frankfurt to Baku by clicking the button below, or choose a specific place of interest to start at by clicking on an image below.
The journey between the skyscraper cities of Frankfurt and Baku is a cross-section of the diversity of Europe’s landscapes and cultures: from mountains to plains, rivers to seas, and ancient cities to modern metropolises.
People have inhabited the European continent for thousands of years and evidence of them can be found in every landscape, from the ancient history of Bohemia to the highest settlements in Europe found in the Caucasus Mountains. However, life still pulses through the region as evidenced by the constant growth of the largest cities along the route.
This flight path also celebrates the diversity of wildlife found in Europe, from the fish in the Dnieper River to the algae in the Sea of Azov and the last populations of European wolves and bears in the Carpathian Mountains.
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from Frankfurt to Baku
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Hong Kong to Singapore
Start exploring the flight path from Hong Kong to Singapore by clicking the button below, or choose a specific place of interest to start at by clicking on an image below.
The South China Sea has long been a conduit for human movement in Southeast Asia. As a vital trade route as well as an essential fishing ground and potential source of oil and gas, the sea is at the centre of the region’s economy. However, the sea's value has made it hugely desirable for bordering nations, who now compete for sovereignty.
The flight path is bookended by two of the most important business and financial centres in Asia: Hong Kong and Singapore. Yet despite being more than 2,200km apart, these cities share many similarities.
In contrast, between these two cities lie some of the most idyllic beaches and diverse marine life in Southeast Asia; from the tourist resorts of Nha Trang in Vietnam to the remote Paracel and Spratly Islands that pepper the South China Sea.
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from Hong Kong to Singapore
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Cairo to Lagos
Start exploring the flight path from Cairo to Lagos by clicking the button below, or choose a specific place of interest to start at by clicking on an image below.
The flight path between Cairo and Lagos crosses some of the driest parts of the planet. Yet these inhospitable places are inhabited by millions of people who rely on a few crucial water supplies: the annual floods of the Nile, the ancient aquifer that underlies the Libyan Desert and the shrinking Lake Chad.
However, an ever-growing population is putting strain on this finite water supply. For example the Great Man-Made River Project in Libya threatens to drain the underground aquifer that has supported life here for thousands of years and Lake Chad continues to shrink.
At either end of the flight path are the two largest cities in Africa: both are dynamic, vibrant mega-cities which grow by thousands of people each year. In contrast to these cities, and as a demonstration of the incredible diversity which exists in Africa, is the fascinating story of life in the desert that has gone on for centuries.
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from Cairo to Lagos
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Vancouver to Los Angeles
The west coast of the United States is littered with active volcanoes, sheer mountains and dramatic pine filled valleys. As well as providing spectacular scenery, these features are also key pieces of evidence that help us understand the geological history of this region.
Some of the USA’s most famous and iconic scenery sits beneath the flight path: Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada, for example, is a classic example of the romanticised American West. Further north the active volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains, such as Mount St. Helens, remind us that even the most powerful nations can be humbled by Earth’s natural processes.
However, humans have also played an increasingly involved role in this landscape: from the Native Americans who first inhabited the region, to the immigrant pioneers who settled in the mid-18th Century, to the extreme sports enthusiasts who now use it as their playground.
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from Vancouver to Los Angeles
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