Flyers Might Face More Delays as Storms Get Stronger

On a busy Saturday last June, about 900 flights were delayed at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports because of massive thunderstorms. Some passengers waited as long as 11 hours, and dozens of flights were cancelled entirely. Air traffic controllers could not safely route all the planes around the storms, so many aircraft had to sit on the ground. Airports across Europe were also affected, as flights heading to London were stuck waiting too.

Experts warn that days like this one could become much more common because of climate change. As the world gets warmer, weather systems are expected to become more unstable. That means stronger storms, more flooding, and trickier flying conditions. Airlines, airports, and passengers may all feel the effects.

Tim Atkinson, a former pilot and airline risk consultant, says the crowded skies over the UK make it especially vulnerable. He warns that storms could one day hit all of London's big airports at the same time, leaving planes from across the Atlantic with nowhere to land. Some of those planes could even run dangerously low on fuel. He called it a situation that could happen 'quite swiftly and with little notice.'

Not everyone thinks the danger is that extreme. Andrew Charlton, who runs an aviation consulting firm in Switzerland, believes the industry is skilled at solving problems quickly. He says it is important to think about worst-case scenarios, but also to keep them in perspective. 'I'm fairly comfortable with the ability of this industry to react well and make good decisions,' he said.

Thunderstorms form when warm, moist air near the ground rises quickly into the sky. As that air rises, it cools and its moisture turns into big storm clouds. A warmer atmosphere can hold about 7% more moisture for every degree of warming, which gives storms more fuel. Scientists say future storms may not be more frequent, but they could be more powerful and cause more damage.