‘Unwanted sauna’: Should airplane cabins have a standard temperature?
Global News
The Association of Flight Attendants in the U.S. has been calling on the federal government to set a minimum standard temperature for planes during boarding.
Global heat records are raising concerns about the temperature air travellers may face while waiting to jet off to their destinations, with one former pilot stressing passengers shouldn’t feel like they’re in a sauna.
Two weeks ago, the Earth set a record for the hottest day on record, which was then broken the very next day.
Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, told Global News that stifling heat can make for an uncomfortable beginning to a trip.
“Some of these temperatures in the cabin can get very hot, especially during the summer season, sometimes going above 100 degrees (Fahrenheit),” he said.
Former pilot Tom Bunn told Global News in an email there is an expectation from passengers.
“Passengers need to know they are not going to be treated to an unwanted sauna,” he wrote.
Some organizations want a regulatory standard put in place for cabin temperatures.
The Association of Flight Attendants, for example, petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2018, calling for a minimum federal standard of 80 F or 26.7 C during boarding, with a higher limit of 85 F if in-flight entertainment screens are on. The petition is currently being studied by the Department of Transportation.
