Multiple heat waves are affecting millions of people across Europe and the United States this week.
So far across Europe, both Germany and Denmark have seen their hottest temperatures ever on record, while in the U.S. much of the country is forecast to see temperatures soar into the triple-digits by the end of the week.
Higher temperatures can pose danger to travelers and locals alike due to the potential for heatstroke, wildfires, and more. They can also be a logistical nuisance, forcing tourists to reschedule plans to sightsee, hike, or pursue other outdoor activities until more favorable conditions hopefully come around again.
But when the mercury rises, it can affect travel plans that are even harder to rebook: your flight itinerary.
The extreme temperatures of a heat wave can interfere with a plane’s ability to take off safely, which ultimately causes flights to be delayed or canceled.
“When air is hot, it becomes less dense due to air molecules spreading out,” according to Dr. Bob Thomas, assistant professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry‑Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus. “Hot air is thin air. While this reduces the lift on which planes rely for takeoff, the main impact is felt on engine thrust. Aircraft engines will produce less thrust during takeoff and ascent as a result.”
With reduced thrust, planes need more runway in order to take off safely. On shorter runways, airlines can sometimes balance out the lower thrust by reducing the weight on board the aircraft, according to Thomas, which could mean bags that are left behind or passengers that are bumped from the flight.
“If pilots, dispatchers and airline personnel cannot assure takeoff and climb performance requirements, then it may lead to a cancellation,” said Brian Roggow, associate dean for the College of Aviation at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Campus.
To help avoid some of the complications, passengers should try to book flights in the early morning or evening hours, when temperatures usually dip, according to Roggow.
However, aside from just higher temperatures, heat waves can cause a cascade of meteorological effects, including more severe thunderstorms that also disrupt flights. In the ongoing heatwave, London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports saw more than 700 flights delayed over the weekend due to stormy weather amid the elevated temperatures, according to The Guardian.
Passengers should brace themselves to deal with these types of heat-related cancellations and delays more often as global warming continues to become more extreme. According to a 2017 Columbia University study, in the coming decades as much as “30 percent of fully loaded planes may have to remove some fuel, cargo or passengers, or else wait for cooler hours to fly” during the hottest parts of the day.
The study’s authors calculated that on the hottest days, pilots could need to reduce aircraft weight by up to 4 percent, which would mean “12 or 13 fewer passengers on an average 160-seat craft.”
So in addition to flight disruptions, rising temperatures could soon turn boarding a plane into an unfun game of musical chairs for some unlucky fliers.
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