Every flight we take around the world is a miracle of science. But there are some flights that come with something special that makes them feel just a bit luckier than others.
And thanks to a recently-released report from flight-tracking company Wingbits, we know what they are.
The route between Washington D.C.’s Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Canada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport (YTZ) was named the luckiest commercial route on the planet, according to the report. The flight passes over the breathtaking Niagara Falls, which is considered one of the best waterfalls in the world with more than 3,100 tons of water flowing over every second.
“These special flight paths truly span the globe, from sweltering South American rainforests to the icy fjords of Norway,” said Dr. Elizabeth Austin, an atmospheric physicist. “Knowing that passengers on these lucky routes have a higher chance of flying directly over a rainbow adds something unique to their journey, and I hope they feel that connection to one of nature’s most uplifting phenomena.”
As for how the company defined “luck,” it all came down to popular pilot lore.
“According to a popular and enduring pilot’s superstition, flying over a rainbow brings extreme good luck for the journey,” the team explained. “Inspired by this, Wingbits’ research team partnered with Dr. Austin to combine flight tracking data with meteorological analysis, identifying the world’s luckiest flights—those passing directly over the most rainbow-dense locations on Earth.”
Next on the list were three different flights that pass over the Karersee alpine lake in the Italian Dolomites, known for its “clear, reflective waters and mountain backdrop,” according to the company. “After short rain showers, rainbows reflect beautifully on the glassy lake surface, with pastel-colored skies adding to the scene’s dreamlike quality.”
Those three flights included routes from London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Crotia’s Dubrovnik Airport (DBV), Germany’s Munich International Airport (MUC) to Spain’s Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), and Germany’s Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO).
Four more flights in the United States made the list, specifically those that fly over Owens Valley, California, a “high-desert basin framed by the Sierra Nevada and White Mountains.” There, “summer thunderstorms followed by clear skies often result in massive, wide-open sky rainbows that stretch across the entire valley floor.”
These routes included Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) to Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), and SFO to LAS.
Other lucky routes included the flight from Brazil’s Foz do Iguacu to Sao Paulo, which flies over the stunning Iguazu Falls; the flight from England’s London Gatwick Airport (LGW) to Iceland’s Keflavík International Airport (KEF), which flies over the Isle of Skye in Scotland; and flights out of Cambodia’s Phnom Penh International Airport (PNH) to China’s Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport (CKG), which fly over the Huangguoshu Waterfall.
Last—but not least—is one more U.S. flight from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) to SFO, which soars above El Capitan.
