Categories: Crew NewsCrewPower

Hot Airplanes Have Flight Attendants and Passengers Steaming

We’ve been discussing the issue of hot airplanes for years yet it seems airlines have become comfortable with simply ignoring the problem until everyone forgets about the heat as milder fall temperatures arrive.

Airlines have enjoyed free reign to decide for themselves what’s too high or low for an airplane cabin temperature to reach. At this point, even though extreme temperatures can clearly impact the health and safety of airline passengers and crew, the FAA does not regulate cabin temperatures.

During the summer, high temperatures and load factors of over 85% create conditions which result in more incidents of air-rage and symptoms such as fatigue, heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. In the winter months, passengers and crew may suffer health effects ranging from cold stress to hypothermia.

AFA Petitions Department of Transportation

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO is asking the Department of Transportation to “conduct rulemaking to prevent incidents of extreme onboard temperature conditions on commercial airplane flights.”

Flight attendants have always been the go-to people when passengers have experienced the discomfort of extreme temperatures. In the past, other than doing everything at their disposal to adjust cabin temperatures, they’ve often found themselves feeling as helpless as the passengers they’ve been tasked with keeping safe.

Flight attendants are taking action and driving the necessary legislation for keeping their passengers consistently safe and comfortable with the help of a new app.

Flight Attendants Submit Temperature Data

Flight attendants, armed with their own thermometers, are using a new app, 2HOT2COLD, to report extreme cabin temperature occurrences to the AFA for data compilation.

The 2HOT2COLD app is available for both Apple and Android devices.