Plane Cabins Are Getting Really Hot During Boarding

The fact that it’s been so fucking hot all summer across the globe has reportedly called attention to complaints from both pilots and flight attendants about just how hot airlines will let cabins get. According to Politico, American Airlines will let cabin temperatures hit 90 degrees before it is considered too hot to board, and JetBlue has set its threshold at 85 degrees.

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How is this possible? Well, federal regulators apparently have no uniform standards for temperatures during boarding. Wild, but unsurprising. It’s a weird position to be in. Politico says that keeping cabin temperatures down would require airlines to burn more fuel. That, in turn, could potentially violate their pledges to lessen greenhouse gas emissions. It could also force them to delay boarding until temperatures drop, which makes it much harder to keep flights running on time.

Aviation unions say Washington must act considering this summer included the hottest June and July ever. Tyesha Best, president of Local 579 of the TWU, representing JetBlue flight attendants, says extremely hot air doesn’t just impact the health of passengers and crew. It also makes for “hot tempers.” That’s the last thing anyone on a plane really needs.

From Politico:

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told POLITICO that his department is monitoring heat trends as well, and taking action in “extreme cases.” But he added that “more routinely, there needs to be a level of comfort and safety in terms of cabin temperature.”

But as long as planes are able to take off without an extended delay that leaves planes waiting on the tarmac, cabin temperatures can be quickly rectified, Buttigieg argued.

“If you can prevent an unreasonable tarmac delay, then usually you’re also not going to have an unreasonable period of discomfort or danger” during the boarding process, he said.

Unions say heat-related illnesses are an increasing concern for those onboard, and they want active intervention from either lawmakers or DOT like setting an acceptable temperature range for plane cabins or requiring airlines to run the air conditioners sooner.

Back in July, passengers on a Delta flight were reportedly stuck on the tarmac in high heat for so long that people were starting to get sick and pass out before the flight was eventually canceled. Delta reportedly acknowledged that temperatures in the cabin were “uncomfortable.” The Transportation Department is now investigating the incident.

Buttigieg reportedly called the situation “shocking” and wondered “how it was possible for passengers” to be left in that situation.

Three major U.S. airlines — Delta, United and Southwest — don’t set any maximum cabin temperatures that would cause them to keep passengers from boarding, spokespeople for the companies said.

Other airlines set cabin temperature thresholds that aviation unions consider unacceptable.

In June, as record-breaking heat began enveloping large swaths of the United States, JetBlue set 85 degrees as its threshold for how hot a plane can be and still board passengers, according to a June 1 internal memo reviewed by POLITICO. It had previously been 80 degrees, the memo said.

The memo said the extra 5 degrees of leeway would help expedite boarding and aid the airline’s on-time performance.

Anyway, there’s a lot more to this story than I can fit into this summary. You really should head over to Politico for the low down on just how much heat airlines think passengers and crews can take before we all snap.