US flight attendants to carry thermometers in fight against high cabin temperatures
New rules could make temperature checks part of the standard preflight checklist, with passengers prevented from boarding planes unless the proper conditions are met
In June 2017, a four-month-old baby was rushed to the hospital suffering from heat-related symptoms after more than two hours aboard an increasingly hot United Airlines plane on the tarmac at Denver International Airport.
The child recovered, but the incident showed how sometimes extreme temperatures that can overtake an aircraft on a hot summer day, creating a cabin environment that can run from uncomfortable to potentially unsafe.
“Today there are no [federal] temperature standards that exist. Oftentimes, in a list of safety requirements, this becomes the last priority,” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents about 50,000 flight attendants working for 20 different airlines.
“Even when airlines have their own internal policies about heating and cooling aircraft … there’s not going to be a full solution here until there’s a standard that everyone will have to meet.”
Today there are no [federal] temperature standards that exist
Starting this month, thousands of flight attendants at airlines around the US will carry thermometers to document extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, encountered during their shifts.