Last month’s killer heat wave in Phoenix, Arizona, grounded a number of aircraft, resulting in flight cancellations and irate customers.
Extreme heat is the enemy of aviation because it affects some of the basic physics of flying.
The problem isn’t just the heat, though; it’s the length of the runways, too.
As USA Today reported, extreme heat affects a plane’s ability to take off because “hot air is less dense than cold air, and the hotter the temperature, the more speed a plane needs to lift off. A runway might not be long enough to allow a plane to achieve the necessary extra speed.” (If you’re interested in learning more about how airplanes fly, you can geek out here.)
In other words, a crowded plane just may not generate enough lift to take off safely.
Phoenix isn’t the only airport where extreme heat can affect aviation, although it will continue to have problems as climate change becomes more extreme. Other airports that may suffer increasing heat-related flight cancellations include Denver, New York’s La Guardia, and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
Runways with longer airports, such as New York’s JFK, London’s Heathrow, and Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, should be less affected by climate change-related temperature increases.
Despite having long runways, international airports in already-hot areas like Dubai could also have problems. The temperatures in that city are already so high that any further heat increase could be problems.
In addition, airports in hot climates and at high altitudes, where the air is thinner anyway, will suffer even graver problems.
So, how will airlines need to solve these problems? Research from Columbia University suggests that they may have to think about cutting passenger numbers, carrying less fuel, and reducing the amount of luggage aboard aircraft.
“This points to the unexplored risks of changing climate on aviation,” said study co-author Radley Horton, a Columbia University climatologist. “AS the world gets more connected and aviation grows, there may be substantial potential for cascading effects, economic and otherwise.”
The effects of extreme heat could be reduced with new engine or body designs, the researchers write, but extending runways in densely packed cities like New York is not an option.
What can you, as a traveler, do to mitigate your risk of not getting to your destination?
If you’re going to fly into airports in hot areas, book your flights so that they take off in the morning or at night, because there won’t be such extreme heat at those times of day.
When possible, fly in larger aircraft. Smaller regional jets and propeller-operated planes have lower heat tolerances than big jets.
Pack lightly, in case your flight needs to have cargo offloaded to compensate for the heat.
Do you have any other tips for flying to and from, or traveling in, countries and regions where extreme heat is a problem? Please share them in the comments.