Increasing power required with altitude.. what's a good plain english explanation?

On Feb 2, 7:06 am, Mxsmanic wrote:
Actually, she's right. You need higher speed at higher altitudes in
order to maintain a given amount of lift, because the air isn't as
dense. However, you don't necessarily need more power, because thin
air presents a lot less resistance to the aircraft. Airliners fly
high in part because it requires less power (and therefore consumes
less fuel). That's why they are eager to get up to high altitudes.

MX, common misconception here about airliners.You need to look at the
fuel required to maintain a given level of thrust at altitude for a
jet engine.
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