Amount of passengers on airplane can affect takeoff
At the start of the pandemic, planes flew with very few or no passengers. Do you notice a significant difference in performance in takeoff in near-empty planes versus planes full of passengers? — Vance Carpenter
The number of passengers definitely can change the performance of any airplane. Before every takeoff, the pilots compute the weight and balance of the airplane. This gives them the proper speeds for critical decisions and when to raise the nose and start the climb.
Passenger weights are a part of the overall weight, hence the fewer passengers, the less the weight. Lighter airplanes lift off the runway at a lower speed, climb faster, cruise higher and land at a slower speed.
There is a significant difference in a lightweight airplane and a full flight.
How long does it take a new pilot to work up from small, short-flight jets to captaining a transoceanic flight? — Joe Mc.
It can vary greatly. If an airline is growing internationally, that transition can occur in a few years. If the airline is stagnant or shrinking, it may not occur at all.
It also depends on the pilot’s preference to be more senior (having more control of his/her schedule) or fly bigger airplanes (with less control of the schedule).
I was extremely fortunate. From being a new-hire first officer to my initial upgrade to captain, it took 31⁄2 years, which is very quick. Later in my career, I could have flown larger airplanes internationally but would have been very junior – flying less-desirable trips with little control of my schedule. I chose to fly smaller jets as a more-senior captain to have better control of the schedule. I was also doing air-safety work that took a lot of time, so being senior made adjusting the schedule more important.
There is not a simple answer to your question.
John Cox is a retired airline captain with US Airways and runs his own aviation safety consulting company, Safety Operating Systems.