While onboard a plane, passengers have a perfect view of the world as they coast through the sea of clouds: buildings, bodies of water, and landscapes, to name a few. But what about seeing the Earth below you? A Ryanair passenger joked about how she felt she was taking a trip to space rather than Portugal.
What is Ryanair?
Ryanair is a low-cost airline based in Dublin, Ireland. For over 40 years, it has become one of the largest and most popular aircraft carriers in Europe, both in terms of its fleet size and the number of passengers it carries annually. With networks spanning 37 countries and 225 destinations, the airline has traveled extensively throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
“I think my pilot wants to go to space,” Ryanair passenger Ella (@user_22269) wrote in the text overlay of her TikTok.
For a moment, her hand covers her mouth while watching the view out her window. Then, she pans the camera to unveil her perspective to 27.5 million viewers. Initially, the plane’s wing is the main focus.
When she pans the camera, she reveals what appears to be a bird’s-eye view of Earth from “space”: a glowing curve of the Earth with swirling white clouds as the sun is a bright white ball illuminating the midnight blue horizon. The sun and planet only appear to burn brighter as the video progresses. Before wrapping up, she shows a brief glance at the planet’s curve.
What did viewers think?
Many agreed she appeared to be exiting the Earth’s stratosphere.
“Have you booked a flight to Mars?” one viewer joked.
“The sun is THAT big and the sky literally dark blue. Yup you are indeed [close to space],” a second quipped.
“Poor girl packed swimming suit for her trip, now she will need space suit,” a third jested.
Furthermore, others who’ve flown with this airline claimed this was a normal flight with Ryanair. Some even shared the same experiences.
“This happened to me and my family when we were flying from Rome to Sofia with Ryanair. It was a morning flight and I thought the pilot was taking us to space,” one commenter recalled.
“Okay I literally had a panic attack on a ryanair flight in 2015. I was convinced we were going to space. This is so validating,” another shared.
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Does Ryanair fly higher than other commercial airlines?
No, it doesn’t. Since Ryanair uses Boeing 737 aircraft, they typically fly between 35,000 and 37,000 feet, which is the average altitude for commercial planes. This allows planes to maximize fuel efficiency while reducing turbulence. Because commercial planes travel at high altitudes, they can provide the illusion of seeing space. When an aircraft reaches around 35,000 feet, the Earth’s curvature can become noticeable on a clear day. However, World Atlas notes that not having a 60-degree view can also create this misconception, along with camera lens distortion.
The Mary Sue reached out to Ella via TikTok comment as well as Ryanair via media contact form.
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