  Recent studies have shown that the spatial structures of animal displacements
and local-scale human motion follow L\'{e}vy flights. Whether transnational
human activity (THA) also exhibits such a pattern has however not been
thoroughly examined as yet. To fill this gap, this article examines the
planet-scale spatial structure of THA (a) across eight types of mobility and
communication and (b) in its development over time. Combining data from various
sources, it is shown that the spatial structure of THA can indeed be
approximated by L\'{e}vy flights with heavy tails that obey power laws. Scaling
exponent and power-law fit differ by type of THA, being highest in
refuge-seeking and tourism and lowest in student exchange. Variance in the
availability of resources and opportunities for satisfying associated needs
appears to explain these differences. Over time, the L\'{e}vy-flight pattern
remains intact and remarkably stable, contradicting the popular idea that
socio-technological trends lead to a "death of distance." Longitudinal change
occurs only in some types of THA and predominantly at short distances,
indicating regional shifts rather than globalization.
