Climate change is changing the way we fly
MINNAPOLIS — As holiday travel ramps up, a new report from Climate Central says the future of flying may not be as smooth as we'd like.
According to the FAA, they handled more than 15 million flights last year. The International Energy Agency says that contributed to the more than 780 metric tons of CO2 emitted globally in 2022. And it's creating problems for the industry.
"It's like a constant feedback loop on itself. You know, you try and cut down on emissions, but you have to travel. And then by traveling you end up causing more CO2," said Isabel Smith, meteorologist and PhD Student at the University of Reading.
One issue is more turbulence thanks to a faster jet stream. That will force airlines to find different, likely longer routes to avoid the choppy air.
"The frequency and the severity is increasing," Smith said. "I think it causes 71 percent of all in-flight injuries, weather-related injuries, and it costs the U.S. aviation sector millions and millions of dollars a year."
Another problem -- more lightning, likely from added energy in the storms.
"One thing that a lot of scientists are currently looking at is the intensity of lightning. Is the amount of current from each strike getting larger? If that's increasing, will we have to start building aircraft that can deal with that capacity?"
And with more heat in the summer, that means planes fly less efficiently and would need longer runways to takeoff.
"Weight restrictions are likely to come in during summer periods to try and combat this, so you might not be able to take as much luggage or it'll cost you a lot more and aircraft may have to be designed differently," Smith said.
Experts say switching to sustainable aviation fuel is just one solution to help smooth out the bumpy outlook. Several companies including Delta, Xcel Energy and EcoLab are working to make Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport a major hub for the eco-friendly alternative.
