News in Brief Climate

Warming climate will force airlines to shed weight, increase costs

Hotter air temperatures require faster speeds during takeoff

airplane takeoff

AIR LIFT  Rising temperatures caused by climate change will frequently limit aircraft takeoff.

Andrew W. Sieber/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

By Thomas Sumner

- More than 2 years ago

PHOENIX — More frequent sweltering summer days will force commercial aircraft to go on a diet, new research suggests.

At some airports, effects of future climate change could as much as triple the number of days when departing planes face weight restrictions, climate scientist Ethan Coffel said January 8 at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting.