Aviation Flu

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Aviation Flu

 Air travel: What temperature is too hot for a plane to take off?

Most of us understand how aircraft fly. Thrust, drag, lift, and weight. The engines must create enough force to move the aircraft against the opposing drag force, and enough lift must be generated to overcome the mass of the vehicle and achieve liftoff. (Neistein, M. 2022). There is however, one variable that can’t be controlled: air density. In hotter temperatures, air is less dense, making it more difficult for aircraft to takeoff.

 

The issue at hand is the overall climate and the temperatures becoming hotter. There have been a few instances in recent years where airliners had to alter the weight of the aircraft by decreasing the amount of passengers on certain flights. Alternate methods have been outright canceling flights in Las Vegas last year, and Phoenix in 2017 because the temperatures have been too hot. Let’s also be aware of the impact it has on the runways when temperatures basically cause the asphalt lift in certain spots.

 Airplanes May Be Grounded Due to Heat Waves From Climate Change

There are many factors in play to combat this part of climate change. Most airlines are just having to fly with lighter aircraft. Some manufacturers are designing lighter aircraft in general, and some that create more thrust and drag with a more aerodynamic design. Some will have to take off with more fuel, and some airports will have to increase their runways to cope with the climate changes we’ll continue to face.

 

A big push it seems for the aviation world is Fly Net Zero by 2050. Fly Net Zero is the commitment of airlines to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. (Our Commitment to Fly Net Zero by 2050. n.d.). To succeed, it will take a lot of cooperation between, governments, airlines, airports, manufacturers, basically anyone that has their hand in the aviation world. Will it happen? We’ll have an idea, and the closer we get to 2050. If not, there will be a lot of litigation take place, and a continuance of flights altered by the climate in the future.

 

References

Neistein, M. (2022, August 22). Too Hot to Fly? Why Climate Change Could Affect Your Flight. Blue Sky PIT News Site. https://blueskypit.com/2022/08/15/too-hot-to-fly-why-climate-change-could-affect-your-flight/

 

Sun, T. (2018, July 29). British Airways kicks 20 passengers off flight because heat wave made plane too heavy. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/travel/british-airways-kicks-20-passengers-off-flight-because-heat-wave-made-plane-too-heavy

 

Extreme Vegas Heat Forces Southwest to Cancel Some Flights. (n.d.). TravelPulse. https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/extreme-vegas-heat-forces-southwest-to-cancel-some-flights.html

 

Freed, J. (2022, July 22). Explainer: Luton Airport runway meltdown shows airports vulnerable to climate change. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/luton-airport-runway-meltdown-shows-airports-vulnerable-climate-change-2022-07-22/

 

Our Commitment to Fly Net Zero by 2050. (n.d.). https://www.iata.org/en/programs/environment/flynetzero/

 

Glendenning, A., & Bailes, E. (2023b, January 10). The factors exposing the aviation sector to litigation risk in 2023. Lexology. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=374e0c6b-4286-41aa-b3e5-c95e7cc80072

 

Cox, J. U. T. (2021, July 23). How hot is too hot for airliners to take off? How often do planes overfly hurricanes? USA TODAY. https://eu.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2021/07/22/air-travel-what-temperature-too-hot-plane-take-off/8012262002/

 

Heat waves will keep more airplanes on the ground in coming years, new research suggests. (2017, July 13). Business Insider Nederland. https://www.businessinsider.nl/airplanes-grounded-heatwaves-climate-change-2017-7?international=true&r=US

 

 

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