In a Warming World, Keeping the Planes Running
- 7 years ago
In a Warming World, Keeping the Planes Running
Climate scientists predict a global increase this century in the annual number of hot days and heat waves, and some airport planners worry
that climate change could push airport infrastructure to the limits of its operating capacity.
Climate scientists predict that sea levels could rise by as much as six or seven feet this century, and aviation experts say
that even a much smaller rise could lead to more flooding at runways or terminals.
A study earlier this year in the journal Climatic Change, based on modeling for 19 major airports, found
that 10 percent to 30 percent of annual flights departing at the hottest time of the day may require weight restrictions by the middle or end of this century.
The cost of having a short runway in a hot place became clear to planners at Brisbane Airport in Australia, who studied climate models
and airlines’ financial data in 2009 while designing the airport’s second runway, said Karyn Rains, the project’s former environment manager.
Concrete runway slabs at other airports may buckle from extreme heat, as similar slabs occasionally do on highways, and there is "serious concern"
that asphalt on aprons and parking areas could melt, said Herbert Pümpel, a co-chairman of the World Meteorological Organization’s Expert Team on Aviation, Science and Climate.
Climate scientists predict a global increase this century in the annual number of hot days and heat waves, and some airport planners worry
that climate change could push airport infrastructure to the limits of its operating capacity.
Climate scientists predict that sea levels could rise by as much as six or seven feet this century, and aviation experts say
that even a much smaller rise could lead to more flooding at runways or terminals.
A study earlier this year in the journal Climatic Change, based on modeling for 19 major airports, found
that 10 percent to 30 percent of annual flights departing at the hottest time of the day may require weight restrictions by the middle or end of this century.
The cost of having a short runway in a hot place became clear to planners at Brisbane Airport in Australia, who studied climate models
and airlines’ financial data in 2009 while designing the airport’s second runway, said Karyn Rains, the project’s former environment manager.
Concrete runway slabs at other airports may buckle from extreme heat, as similar slabs occasionally do on highways, and there is "serious concern"
that asphalt on aprons and parking areas could melt, said Herbert Pümpel, a co-chairman of the World Meteorological Organization’s Expert Team on Aviation, Science and Climate.