It\u2019s been another summer of record-smashing temperatures and record-smashing air travel. Airports and airlines say they can handle both.<\/p>\n
U.S. airlines expect to transport 271 million passengers worldwide this summer, up 6.3% from last season, the Airlines for America trade group has projected. Carriers have added flights and seats \u2014 in some cases too many \u2014 to accommodate the uptick. It comes in a year when the Earth notched its hottest June ever, and as last week saw two days in a row break planetary heat records.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the aviation industry is adjusting to \u201ca new normal\u201d of scorching temperatures during the busy summer travel period, said Kevin Burke, president and CEO at Airports Council International\u2013North America. So far, airports have managed \u201cto adapt to these conditions\u201d by working with airlines to tackle safety risks and operational challenges, he said.<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Transportation tracks \u201cextreme weather\u201d 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 on display in recent years.<\/p>\n In July 2022, a scorching heat wave in Europe caused runway damage at London\u2019s 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 opportunities to take breaks in air-conditioned \u201ccool down vans.\u201d<\/p>\n In Las Vegas, which is seeing record highs 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.<\/p>\n It\u2019s physics: \u201cAirplanes perform better aerodynamically at cool temperatures, when the air is denser,\u201d said Patrick Smith, a pilot and founder of \u201cAsk the Pilot,\u201d an air travel blog. Very hot weather reduces aircraft engines\u2019 thrust, sometimes requiring longer runways to achieve liftoff and gain altitude.<\/p>\n To address that challenge in Vegas, \u201cthe air traffic control tower will institute a configuration change for takeoffs to the east, which avoids the mountainous terrain,\u201d said LAS spokesperson Amanda Mazzagatti. \u201cThat configuration can cause slight delays for departures as it reduces the number of takeoffs per hour,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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 \u201ccan also cause delays and anger passengers,\u201d he conceded.<\/p>\n