While travelers typically brace for flight delays during storms or heavy snow, a less obvious culprit is increasingly disrupting air travel: extreme heat.
On scorching summer days with clear skies, the soaring temperatures can render the air too thin for aircraft to safely take off, forcing airlines to lighten their loads by offloading passengers, cargo, or even fuel. This phenomenon, once primarily associated with desert climates, is becoming a more widespread challenge, exacerbated by human-caused climate change.
