Can a heat wave delay your flight? Why travel experts are raising the alarm this week
Cool your jets.
As several states, including New York, gird to manage a simmering heat wave this week, experts are expressing concerns regarding the impact high temperatures can have on flights.
Last summer, a plane out of Newark Liberty International Airport was left stuck on a steamy tarmac as passengers suffered on board for seven hours before moving. Around the same time, a Delta flight in Las Vegas was investigated for leaving passengers on a hot airplane for hours as well.
Delays are already running rampant in the current heat wave. By 1 p.m. Monday, more than 2,500 flights were delayed across the nation, up substantially from the 1,400 delayed around 10 a.m., Forbes reported.
Although major planes like Airbus and Boeing can take off safely in heat up to 122 degrees, reported USA Today, there are many other issues concerning heat.
“Pilots include weather considerations — such as temperature, pressure, precipitation, wind velocity and more — into every flight,” according to Brian Roggow, an associate dean for the College of Aviation at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Campus.
“As we reach extremes in any one of these categories, operations may either be delayed or canceled … If pilots, dispatchers and airline personnel cannot assure takeoff and climb performance requirements, then it may lead to a cancellation,” Roggow added.
The issues come from a lack of density in the air as molecules spread, according to Bob Thomas, a professor of aeronautical science at Embry‑Riddle.
“Hot air is thin air. While this reduces the lift on which planes rely for takeoff, the main impact is felt on engine thrust,” he said, adding that a lack of thrust makes takeoff difficult. It can also be dangerous over mountainous terrain.
Meanwhile, the solution makes travelers’ blood boil.
“The only way to make a takeoff possible on shorter runways would be to lower the weight of the aircraft,” said Thomas.
That translates to bags — and even passengers — being removed on short notice, particularly when temps hit triple figures.
“Early mornings and late evening flights are least likely to be affected by heat,” Roggow advises.
“Booking these can minimize the frustration of delays or cancellations due to midday or early evening extreme heat.”
