Finding flight Routes for a single aircraft

[CaptMatto]

Hey all,

I’ve recently started flying the A320NX by FlyByWire and I had a thought this morning about flight routes. I’ve downloaded a BA livery and thought it would be fun to recreate the day of a real aircraft.

I can find the locations that BA fly with that aircraft but what I haven’t yet been able to find is the actual route that a single aircraft takes, or am I overthinking this and it simply turns around and goes back to where it came from? Or do aircraft go from A to B, then to C, then to D, then back to A??

Does anyone have any insight?

[Lochboisdale]

Typically an aircraft will depart from its main hub, say Heathrow or EGLL to a destination, say Aberdeen or EGPD and return, if it’s the last flight of the day it may overnight in Aberdeen.

If overnighted in Aberdeen then first flight of the day will be back to Heathrow, then the aircraft may go to other destinations in the network suitable to the aircraft type, Lisbon for example then back to Heathrow.

Hopefully that gives an idea of the hub and spoke nature of aircraft routing

[Pieter2427]

@CaptMatto

Or do aircraft go from A to B, then to C, then to D, then back to A??

That does happen, yes. But not too often. All depending on distance, crew and type of aircraft. Assuming you’re looking for an A320, 90% are just ABA flights.

For real routes and schedules go here to see the BA fleet: British Airways (BA/BAW) Fleet, Routes & Reviews | Flightradar24, select the A320N and click on one of the tail numbers. You’ll see it’s past and planned flights.

[CaptMatto]

Thanks, Both