Heat May Shut Some US Airports

By Douglas McIntyre  •  July 17, 2024
Soumya Ranjan Pexels
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Extreme heat has a record of shutting down parts of airports or forcing airlines to cancel flights.

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These fall into three categories.

First, planes stuck on runways waiting to take off can overheat inside and cause passengers to fall ill. The most notorious example of this was when the interior of a plane reached 111 degrees F last year. According to AZ Central,  “When Delta Air Lines Flight 555 from Las Vegas was canceled before its intended July 17 departure to Atlanta, the inside of the plane was so hot that people fell ill.” Extreme heat can also cause deadly burns.

Extreme heat can compromise a plane’s wings’ ability to lift it into the air. Airplanes produce less thrust in 100-degree weather. This often means they can carry less weight and have fewer passengers than usual. One challenge is that business travel has jumped sharply.

Runway Damage

Extreme heat can also cause runway asphalt to buckle, sometimes shutting down these runways for hours. One example, according to CBS News, was in 2022. “On Monday, Luton Airport, about 30 miles north of London, had to suspend flights because the excessive heat damaged part of its runway, adding further strain to an already tumultuous travel season.”

While the financial consequences of heat on air traffic cannot be measured precisely, a summer like this one will increase wait time and cancellations and may sicken some passengers.

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