The main reason airplanes fly in the stratosphere is because this is

where the least amount of turbulence is found. In addition, because

the stratosphere is very dry, there are fewer clouds in this layer,
making for a much smoother ride overall. It is simply the perfect
layer to fly in for a number of reasons.

There are, of course, very practical reasons for planes to fly in the stratosphere. In
addition to less turbulence, this layer of the atmosphere allows for much better fuel
economy. This is because in higher altitudes, such as those found in the stratosphere,
there is less air resistance.

In fact, the air resistance in the stratosphere is about half of the resistance found on
the ground, which means the plane can hold airspeed at lower power settings, so not
as much fuel is used. Lower power settings always equal better fuel efficiency, which
is important to all airline companies.

As a general rule, fuel economy gets better with higher altitudes, so stratosphere
flying can save the airlines a lot of money. The more constant the jet-to-fuel ratio is,
the better the fuel economy is, and this is yet another huge benefit of flying in the
stratosphere.

When planes fly into thin air, such as that found in the stratosphere, less air enters the
engine and less fuel is required to fly the plane, allowing for both lower fuel costs and
a more efficiently run engine in the long run. It is easy to understand why better fuel
economy is preferred by the airlines.

Turbulence is caused by many things, but it is often the result of bad weather. Pilots
try to avoid the areas with the most turbulence. Since most bad weather occurs below
the stratosphere, this is one of the reasons why pilots fly in the stratosphere layer of
the atmosphere. But there are exceptions to this rule.

If there is a really strong thunderstorm, it can poke through the stratosphere. In these
instances, pilots usually just fly around the storm so they can stay away from them.

Turbulence can also be caused by clear air turbulence, or CAT, which occurs when a
strong jet stream is found between mixing regions. 

Nevertheless, more often than not, there is little to no bad weather found in the
stratosphere, which results in smooth flying for most aircraft. Less turbulence is
valuable for many reasons and this is why flying in the stratosphere layer of the
atmosphere is the rule for most aircraft.