Extreme Heat Now Causing Flight Delays, Impacting Southwest, Delta, American, And United Airlines: Here’s What You Need To Know

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

As a blistering power activity bakes nan United States much than 7,000 formation delays person been reported successful awesome airdrome belts, wreaking havoc connected travel. High temperatures from Nebraska to nan Carolinas are wreaking havoc crossed nan country, snarling recreation plans and stranding those who are bum aliases different vulnerable.

Extreme Heat Impacting Flights Nationwide

By Monday evening, nan formation search work FlightAware had recorded complete 7,000 delayed flights wrong nan U.S. That’s much than 15% of nan regular flights typically tracked by nan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Southwest Airlines has suffered nan astir pinch astir 1,165 delayed flights. American Airlines intimately follows pinch 885 delays and Delta Air Lines reports 736 delayed flights. United Airlines has 686 delays, disrupting recreation schedules of passengers.

Huge Delays astatine Major Airport Hubs

Flight delays person swelled past triple-digit numbers astatine galore of nan nation’s biggest airports, peculiarly astatine its busiest hubs, among them Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Denver, Detroit Metro, Charlotte-Douglas, Newark Liberty, Boston Logan, and Washington’s Reagan National. And travelers astatine airports including Baltimore/Washington, Las Vegas’ Harry Reid, Los Angeles, Seattle-Tacoma, New York’s LaGuardia and Orlando person been deed pinch large delays.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said this scorching heatwave, pinch heat-index values specified arsenic up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, will past done Wednesday. Cities specified arsenic Raleigh, Charlotte and Orlando person “extreme power risk,” which intends group look imaginable wellness consequences for being extracurricular astatine all.

How Extreme Heat Affects Flights

What utmost power really does to aerial recreation Raw utmost power affects aerial recreation because it thins aerial density, making it much difficult for planes to return off. Melanie Dickman, an aviation clever clever astatine nan Center for Aviation Studies astatine Ohio State University, said that warmer aerial is not arsenic dense, truthful craft person to alert faster erstwhile taking off.

Less aerial density intends planes either transportation little weight aliases request longer runways to return off. Higher temperatures besides construe into little thrust generated by craft engines, making takeoffs much challenging, peculiarly astatine airports located astatine higher elevations, added Dickman.

Dr. Bob Thomas of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University added that location could beryllium much turbulence because nan higher basking air, taking disconnected and landing, intends accrued turbulence. This creates overmuch higher discomfort and information issues for nan passengers.

Domino Effect of Flight Delays

Delayed flights successful 1 portion of nan state thin to person knock-on affects crossed nan remainder of nan nationalist aerial recreation network. Chances are, airlines person already scheduled their craft and unit for aggregate flights each day. That intends a hold successful nan greeting successful Boston leads to delays successful Dallas and Chicago later successful nan day, creating a ripple effect crossed nan country.

When greeting departures into nan thousands are delayed, nan wide effect is magnified, considerably compounding recreation disruptions astir nan nation.

Cabin Comfort Issues

Cooling Systems Most craft cooling systems are astir effective successful nan air, not connected nan ground. Air conditioning astatine airdrome gates utilizes cool aerial from outside, but that ceases to beryllium effective erstwhile nan level leaves gross and sits connected tarmac, Dr. Thomas said.

For home flights, travelers must beryllium fto disconnected aft nan craft has sat connected nan tarmac for 3 hours because of Department of Transportation regulations. However, passengers often suffer from discomfort connected nan portion of nan craft aft nan first uncomfortable situation.

Tips to Dodge Summer Flight Delays

If you are looking to enactment retired of airdrome power delays during heatwaves, early greeting flights look to beryllium overmuch little affected. Early flights, Dr. Thomas notes, trim down connected nan consequence of weather-related delays (thunderstorms are communal successful nan Southeast).

Heatwave Severity and Traveler Safety

The existent heatwave is simply a nationalist wellness concern, warned nan National Weather Service. Travelers are besides advised to support existent connected nan upwind and portion plentifulness of fluids, and support an oculus connected formation position to expect delays.

Expert Advice connected Travel Preparedness

Air recreation experts urge checking successful often pinch an airline, packing for delays and allowing other clip for connecting flights. Airlines excessively will person responsibilities managing ongoing disruption proactively, which will beryllium elaborate successful owed course, but passengers should besides return their ain measures.

Impacted Airlines and Airports Summary

• Airlines: Southwest, American, Delta, United
• Large Hub Airports: Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Denver, Detroit Metro, Charlotte-Douglas, Newark Liberty, Boston Logan, Reagan National
• Secondary Airports: Baltimore/Washington, Las Vegas Harry Reid, Los Angeles, Seattle-Tacoma, LaGuardia, Orlando