Extreme heat makes flying harder. Airlines and airports say they aren’t sweating it.
(This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News )
It’s been another summer of record-smashing temperatures and record-smashing air travel.
Airports and airlines say they can handle both.
U.S. airlines expect to carry 271 million passengers across the globe this summer, up 6.3% from last season, according to the trade group, Airlines for America.
Carriers have added flights and seats to accommodate the uptick. It comes in a year when the Earth had its hottest June ever. Last week there were two days in a row with record-breaking planetary heat records.
Nevertheless, the aviation industry is adjusting to “a new normal” of scorching temperatures during the busy summer travel period, said Kevin Burke, president and CEO at Airports Council International – North America.
So far, airports have managed “to adapt to these conditions” by working with airlines to tackle safety risks and operational challenges, he said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation tracks “extreme weather” delays caused by conditions like tornadoes, blizzards or hurricanes but not those due to heat. And while the share of delay minutes caused by weather overall has declined in the last few decades, heat-related snags have been turning up in recent years.
In July 2022, a scorching heat wave in Europe caused runway damage at London’s Luton Airport, briefly suspending flights. In June the year before, Alaska Airlines canceled and delayed flights due to record-breaking heat that had raised tarmac temperatures to 130 degrees Fahrenheit in Seattle and Portland and affected operations in California, Texas, Arizona and Louisiana. Ground crews were offered to take breaks in air-conditioned “cool down vans.”
In Las Vegas, which is seeing record-high temperatures again this summer, officials at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) say the larger, heavier aircraft used for long-haul flights can have a harder time taking off.
It’s physics: “Airplanes perform better aerodynamically at cool temperatures when the air is denser,” said Patrick Smith, a pilot and founder of “Ask the Pilot,” an air travel blog. Very hot weather reduces aircraft engines’ thrust, requiring a longer runway to achieve liftoff and gain altitude.
To address that challenge in Vegas, “the air traffic control tower will institute a configuration change for takeoffs to the east, which avoids the mountainous terrain,” said LAS spokesperson Amanda Mazzagatti. “That configuration can cause slight delays for departures as it reduces the number of takeoffs per hour,” she said.
High temperatures sometimes require aircraft to reduce their weight before getting up in the air by shedding baggage, fuel or even people, said Robert Thomas, an assistant professor at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Making these adjustments before takeoff “can also cause delays and anger passengers,” he conceded.
High heat can pose mechanical challenges, Smith said. “Engines also are subject to internal temperature limits beyond which operation isn’t permitted, and when it’s really hot outside these limits are easier to exceed. I expect it to happen more frequently as climate change causes more extreme weather events, including extreme heat waves.”
But in Phoenix this year, where temperatures have soared well into the 100s this month, officials at Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) insist they’re “well prepared for Arizona summers,” with runways that can accommodate takeoffs and landings in hot conditions.
Preparations for the summer weather begin each spring, said airport spokesperson John Trierweiler. Aviation department employees take a mandatory heat-safety course, and this year PHX added a video on the subject for all airport staffers, he said. During extreme heat, the airport urges employees to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks, and, if they’re working outdoors, to cool off inside every hour.
Southwest Airlines said it has things under control even though severe heat is “arriving earlier and persisting throughout the summer” at Sun Belt airports where the carrier has a large presence, said spokesperson Chris Perry.
Like other airlines, Southwest keeps planes cool by running air conditioning on the ground and asking passengers to close window shades and open overhead air vents upon arrival.
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines also asks passengers to take these steps, said spokesperson Drake Castaneda.
When cabins get uncomfortably hot, employees can pause boarding and wait until it cools down, even if that means a delay, he said.
Perry said Southwest hasn’t experienced any widespread heat-related delays or cancellations lately, but he acknowledged reports of exploding soda cans due to high temperatures.
“We’re aware of the issue and have been taking steps to keep onboard beverages cooler,” he said.
High temperatures are also pushing airports and carriers to adjust their ground operations and upgrade infrastructure, ACI-NA’s Burke said. Some airports are installing “smart glass” to reduce solar heat transmission into terminals, replacing aging central plant equipment with higher-efficiency technologies and improving electrical power systems.
Carriers are also paying attention to pets. Delta, Southwest and United Airlines don’t allow pets to travel in cargo holds any time of year. Alaska and American do, but there are summertime restrictions.
Alaska Airlines, which has year-round breed restrictions for short-nosed dogs and cats, only allows pets to travel when the weather at both the departure and arrival cities is between 45 and 85 degrees. For much of this summer, Alaska isn’t accepting pets in baggage compartments on flights arriving or departing between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. at more than two dozen airports.
American Airlines also imposes breed restrictions year-round and doesn’t accept pets as cargo whenever temperatures surpass 85 degrees. From May 1 through September 30, the airline also prohibits pets in cargo on flights originating, connecting or terminating in Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas or Palm Springs, California.
“If we find that temperatures become unsafe during travel,” the carrier tells customers, “we’ll take your pet to a local kenneling facility — at no charge — for a comfort stop to play, eat and sleep until temperatures return to a safe range.”
(Photo up top courtesy U.S. National Archives, via Flickr Commons)
