International Flights Reach Over 800 mph Due to Near-Record Winds

Several flights, including Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines, arrived early as jet streams propelled them to speeds surpassing 800 mph.

Near-record winds in the Northeast pushed commercial jets to speeds over 800 mph, with some flights arriving earlier than expected.
The jet stream's strong winds, peaking at around 265 mph, were the second strongest upper-level wind recorded in the region's local history.
Virgin Atlantic Flight 22 from Washington to London reached a top speed of 802 mph, landing 45 minutes early.
United Airlines Flight 64 from Newark to Lisbon hit 838 mph, also arriving ahead of schedule.
Despite reaching ground speeds faster than the speed of sound, the planes did not break the sound barrier due to technical distinctions between ground speed and airspeed.