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In the past few years, there has been a severe increase in the number of incidents that have occurred on commercial flights. More recently, on May 21, 2024, Singapore Airlines Flight 321 saw one fatality and 104 injuries on board while the Boeing plane flew over Myanmar.
Many aviation experts have wondered why these incidents have become more commonplace, and the answer seems to now be obvious: climate change. Not only is commercial air travel responsible for an estimated 3.5% of human-caused climate change, but planes themselves are falling victim to its effects.
As climate change ravages the world, it is leading to more severe and unpredictable weather patterns, which is increasing turbulence, storms, and other hazardous conditions for flights.
Even flight delays are becoming more common, as many scheduled flights remain grounded due to severe and adverse weather events that can drastically affect flight safety and create more challenging conditions for pilots and air traffic controllers.
The Northern Hemisphere in particular has seen a major increase in accidents while in the air. The reason? The wind currents in the Earth’s upper atmosphere that flow from west to east (known as jet streams) are actually speeding up.
For every degree Celsius that winds warm as a result of carbon emissions, the jet stream will speed up by 2%. This will ultimately result in bigger and longer-lasting storms that contain more severe turbulence.
Even hail has been proven to cause issues for flights. In June 2024, an Austrian Airlines plane's nosecone was nearly destroyed thanks to the hail of a thunderstorm that the plane had passed through.
Planes are capable of passing through heavy rain, but these weather events significantly impact the visibility of pilots, and climate change may cause larger hail to become more frequent.
Other extreme weather events are also becoming common as climate change affects the planet, including hurricanes and typhoons. These events pose significant risks to aircraft during takeoff, flight, and landing phases.
Airports are often built in low, flat areas that are ideal for runways. As a result, they are often prone to major periods of flooding. According to a study conducted in 2021, more than 100 airports around the world are located below sea level.
As sea levels rise thanks to global warming, it is predicted that the risk of flooding at these low-lying airports will increase by a factor of up to 69 by the year 2100. This would cause major issues for flight safety, considering planes will be incapable of taking off and landing on runways.
The increased risk of flooding isn’t the only issue being faced by airports thanks to global warming. As rising surface temperatures and heat waves affect the globe, aircraft are also negatively impacted.
In order for a plane to lift into the air, it relies on an aerodynamic force that is generated by the interaction between the plane and the air molecules that surround it. But as the atmosphere warms, the air expands and actually becomes less dense, which makes it difficult for planes to get airborne.
But difficulty getting a plane airborne is only one of the issues that increased temperatures is causing. Heat waves have also caused many airplanes to encounter melting tarmacs or melting tires while standing on the runway.
Aviation experts predict that runways will need to be made longer in order to circumvent issues caused by global warming. Furthermore, airplanes will also need to carry less cargo. In fact, on average, the distance needed by planes to take off has increased by about 0.15% annually due to climate change.
Shockingly, the searing summer heat that has affected many parts of North America has also caused soda cans to explode mid-flight. The beverage bombs have the potential to severely injure flight crew and passengers.
Aside from storms and heat, climate change is also drastically affecting the length of some flights. Due to the intensifying jet streams, pilots have encountered stronger headwinds that have actually slowed planes down.
Climate change also carries with it the negative risk of affecting wildlife in relation to airplane travel. More precisely, airplanes were already at major risk of bird strikes, but this risk has increased over the years. In the United States, more than 14,000 bird strikes are reported every year, which can cause significant damage to aircraft engines.
While the weather is one of the primary reasons for safety issues during flight, there are some smaller, less common problems that could exacerbate them. One of these issues is pilot fatigue. Pilots often face long hours and irregular schedules, and tired pilots are more prone to making errors, which can compromise flight safety.
With the increasing reliance on digital systems for flight operations, the threat of cyberattacks has also grown. Hackers targeting aviation systems can potentially disrupt flights, steal sensitive data, or even cause crashes by interfering with navigation and communication systems.
The increase in the number of flights around the world has also led to more crowded airspace. This congestion can result in a higher likelihood of mid-air collisions, near misses, and other incidents, despite the implementation of traffic collision avoidance systems.
Flights that pass over or near conflict zones are also at a higher risk of being targeted or encountering unexpected hazards. The downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine is one example that highlights the dangers of flying over such regions.
As airlines strive to cut costs, there may be pressure to reduce maintenance intervals or use less expensive parts. A recent example can be seen in the Boeing manufacturing company, which has come under massive scrutiny due to safety issues that have occurred thanks to inadequate maintenance of aircraft.
The risk of runway incursions (where aircraft, vehicles, or people mistakenly enter an active runway) has increased with the rise in airport traffic. These incidents can lead to collisions during takeoff and landing. In fact, aviation experts have reported that runway incursions in the US occur at a rate of nearly 2,000 annually.
Another factor that has a slight risk of causing harm to passengers is intoxication. Recently, airlines have seen a rise in the number of drunken incidents occurring mid-flight, and they truly pose a significant risk to flight safety.
Although there are heavy regulations put in place by airlines, instances of pilot substance abuse have occurred in the past. This can severely impair a pilot’s ability to operate an aircraft safely, increasing the risk of accidents due to impaired judgment or motor skills.
Although the list of potential risks and issues faced by airlines seems significant, there is a nugget of good news to be found. Aviation experts have already put plans into motion to reduce the effects of flight risk as a result of climate change, and other issues are also being continually addressed. Indeed, statistically speaking, flying still remains one of the safest forms of travel in the world.
Sources: (National Geographic) (The Independent) (CNN)
See also: The most unbelievable man-made disasters in history
Another issue that has started catching up to airlines is that many of them continue to use older aircraft to cut costs. As these planes age, the risk of mechanical failures and other technical issues rises, despite regular maintenance.
Click through this gallery to see how the world’s changing weather is making flying more hazardous.
Why is flying becoming more dangerous?
The skies are becoming more life-threatening than before
LIFESTYLE Aviation
The world has seen some incredibly deadly plane crashes over the decades. In the beginning, aviation laws had not been so strict in ensuring that proper maintenance was performed on planes and that strict protocols were required to ensure passenger safety. But gone are the days when planes were largely unsafe, especially as new technology has allowed aircraft to do things that were once thought impossible. So why has the news lately been full of accidents that have occurred during flight? The answer is simple: climate change.
Click through this gallery to see how the world’s changing weather is making flying more hazardous.