极端高温正在对民航运营造成越来越大的挑战。当热空气密度降低时，飞机机翼难以产生足够升力，导致飞机无法安全起飞[1]。7月24日，拉斯维加斯气温达到114华氏度，美国航空公司为减轻飞机重量便于起飞，向自愿放弃座位的乘客提供补偿[1]。
气候变暖加剧了这一问题的严重性。凤凰城天港国际机场自2020年以来平均每年有43天气温达到至少110华氏度，为20世纪中期年均值的三倍多[1]。拉斯维加斯哈里·里德国际机场在2020至2025年间平均每年也有18天温度达到这一阈值，为1940至1960年代年平均值的两倍多[1]。
根据预测，这一趋势将继续恶化。2017年哥伦比亚大学和NASA的联合研究预测，到本世纪中叶，全球19个机场中的一些可能在最热时段有10%-30%的航班面临重量限制[1]。近期研究进一步指出，到2065年，欧洲四个机场的飞机起飞时每架可能需减少相当于10名乘客的重量[1]。
Extreme heat is creating operational challenges for commercial aviation, as hot air's lower density reduces the lift generated by aircraft wings. On July 24, American Airlines compensated passengers at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport who voluntarily gave up their seats to reduce aircraft weight when temperatures reached 114 degrees Fahrenheit.[1]
The problem is expected to intensify significantly in the coming decades. A 2017 study by Columbia University and NASA predicted that by mid-century, approximately 10-30 percent of flights at some of the 19 global airports analyzed may face weight restrictions during the hottest periods of the day.[1] More recent research suggests that by 2065, aircraft departing from four European airports will need to reduce their weight by approximately the equivalent of 10 passengers per flight.[1]
The frequency of extreme heat at major airports has already increased substantially. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has experienced an average of 43 days per year with temperatures reaching at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit since 2020, more than triple the average from the mid-twentieth century.[1] Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport averaged 18 days per year with temperatures at that threshold between 2020 and 2025, more than double the annual average from the 1940s–1960s.[1]