Can passenger airplanes hover completely motionless in the air?

No, passenger airliners are not designed to hover like helicopters or certain military aircraft. The phenomenon you describe, where people claim to see big airliners pausing in the air on platforms like a glitch in the_matrix, is likely an optical illusion or a misunderstanding of what's happening.

Aircraft, including big passenger planes, need airflow over their wings to generate lift. The basic idea is that as long as there is sufficient airflow over the wings, the aircraft can produce lift and remain in flight. If there is no air movement, there is no lift, and the plane will descend. While it's theoretically possible for an aircraft to have airspeed sufficient for lift while maintaining zero groundspeed (for example, flying into a strong headwind), the conditions required for this are not typical in everyday flight.

One potential explanation for the perceived hovering is the observer's relative motion. If a plane is flying directly towards or away from an observer, it may appear to have no angular speed, creating the illusion of hovering. Additionally, if an observer is in motion, comparing the aircraft's position to a landmark can make the aircraft's apparent motion seem minimal.

It's crucial to understand that even when it seems like a plane is not moving, it is still in motion relative to the air. For example, on a windy day, an aircraft can be moving through the air while appearing stationary relative to the ground due to the wind speed.

Reports of large jets pausing mid-air for 30 seconds before moving again are likely inaccurate. If such an event occurred, passengers on board would certainly notice and report unusual sensations. Moreover, in normal flight conditions, an airliner would not exhibit such behavior, and it's more plausible that observers are misinterpreting the situation due to the aircraft's distance, size, or lack of surrounding reference points.

▶️ Big passenger airliners are not designed for hovering, and reports of them doing so are likely due to optical illusions, misperceptions, or exaggerations.