"Northeast's Near-Record Winds Propel Passenger Flights to New Heights"

Near-record high-altitude winds over the Northeast propelled commercial passenger planes to speeds exceeding 800 mph, with a Virgin Atlantic flight from Washington, D.C., to London arriving 45 minutes ahead of schedule and reaching a ground speed of 802 mph. A United Airlines flight from Newark to Lisbon also experienced a peak ground speed of 838 mph, cutting 20 minutes off its scheduled flight time. The powerful jet streams, driven by temperature contrasts, are responsible for these unusually high speeds.