Approximately 9 to 10 million people fly commercially each day worldwide, with around 2.6 to 3 million flying in the U. S. alone, according to recent data and estimates from sources like the Federal Aviation Administration and OAG. The daily total fluctuates based on the time of year, with peak travel during holidays and summer months, and includes an average of about 45,000 flights in the U. S. and over 100,000 globally.
The North American X-15 holds the record for the fastest manned aircraft, reaching Mach 6.7( 4,520 mph or 7,274 km / h) on October 3, 1967, piloted by Major William“ Pete” Knight. This rocket-powered experimental aircraft, a joint NASA / U. S. Air Force project, achieved speeds at the edge of space, though its flights are not considered official FAI air speed records because it was air-launched from a B-52 mothership rather than taking off from a runway.
The most passengers ever carried on a single commercial flight was 1,088 by an El Al Boeing 747 during
Operation Solomon in 1991, though this was an emergency evacuation and not a standard commercial flight. The highest maximum seating capacity for a regularly produced commercial aircraft is 853 passengers on an all-economy configuration of an Airbus A380.
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