Why are we build bigger and longer planes? Would not a small and regular plane to better?

Answer 1

It is more economical to fly a large number of passengers in one big plane than several small ones.

The larger planes will fly routes where there are alot of travelers. Smaller planes will still serve smaller cities.

I know it seems odd that sometimes the planes we fly on are pretty empty, it's not a perfect system. But in the grand scheme of things it works out better that way.

Edit 1

To Peter M (Answer Below)

Don't know if you'll get to read this or not, but here goes anyway... And just in case there are others interested too.

Perhaps I need to restate what my answer meant, when I said "things work out better"

If you have five hundred people in Paris willing to buy an airline ticket for New York, it is much more economical to put them on one plane that seats 500, than to use five planes that carry 100 each. Sometimes you may only have 350 seats sold, but it is still chaper to fly them on the one big plane than on four little ones.

I would also like to point out that the airliners built today are much more economical and more environmentaly friendly than the planes of years past.

There are many, many smaller planes built every year. They just don't make the headlines that the new big planes do.

Sorry if I didn't make that clear in my first answer. I do that sometimes. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.

Dave

Answer 2

It is simple economics. It costs only about 10% more to operate a large aircraft (like the new double-decker Airbus A380) as it does to operate a smaller plane (like the A320). But you can fit twice as many people into a larger aircraft, thereby increasing the economy of moving people around. The results is (in theory) more passengers, lower costs per-seat, lower fares, and higher profits for the airlines.

In fact, smaller aircraft (like commuter planes) generally lose money per-seat-mile. It's the larger aircraft on the long-haul flights that usually make up the loses.

Answer 3

Someone said "in the grand scheme of things it works
out better that way".
i beg to differ.
And this is what ur question presupposes,if im not mistaken.
We live in a time where people are paid to make decisions,
also groups of people too.But we also live in a time of
environmentalism-and rapid communications show clearly
that ice-cap and deforestation ishappening.
My point is that there are competing "claims", claims which
influence the size of plane built.
Whole governments Take an interest; and these competing
(country) governments do not immediately act to produce
planes which are (significantly) better for our environment.
Just one similar example- in europe,lots of cars are made and sold that achieve 30,40,50 and 60 miles per gallon of
gas. Here in the US, that doesnt happen.