全球越變暖，飛機越晚點

路透社引用《氣候變化》雜志上發表的一篇研究論文稱，未來幾十年，全球變暖造成的氣溫上升和熱浪，可能導致全球三分之一的航班滯留。其中紐約拉瓜迪亞機場和迪拜國際機場因跑道較短和灼熱的高溫等原因，將受到最大的影響。

高溫可能迫使航班減少載客量，或限制貨物或燃料數量，以保證安全起飛。為什么？研究人員表示，氣溫越高，飛機越難產生升力。

研究稱，到2100年，全球平均氣溫可能升高5.5華氏度（3攝氏度），而到2080年之前，機場的日平均最高氣溫可能上升7至14度。研究人員預測，氣溫升高要求10%至30%的滿載飛機必須減輕負重才能安全起飛。

這不止對個人出行是壞消息，還會對航空業產生嚴重影響：研究人員認為，高溫會降低航空公司的利潤率，原因之一是航空公司將不得不減少售票。另外，航班延誤和取消還會影響到其他經濟部門。

今年6月，由于“極端高溫”不適宜飛機航行，導致菲尼克斯數十架航班被取消，之后便有了這項最新研究。(財富中文網）?

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

According to a study published in the journal Climate Change, as cited by Reuters, rising temperatures and heat waves due to global warming may ground up to a third of planes across the world in the coming decades. New York's LaGuardia and Dubai International Airport will be some of the airports affected the most, namely due to short runways and scorching heat, respectively.

The heat may cause airlines to cut the number of passengers on an aircraft, or limit the amount of cargo or fuel in order to take off safely. Why? The warmer the air, the harder it is for the airplane to create lift, according to the researchers.

While average worldwide temperatures may climb 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit (3 Celsius) by 2100, according to researchers, the annual maximum daily temperatures at airports could increase by 7 to 14 degrees by 2080. The study's authors predict that this rise in temperature will require between 10% and 30% of fully loaded planes to shed some weight in order to take off.

While this is bad news for your travel plans, it could also greatly impact the airline business: Researchers determined the heat could lead to thinner profit margins, as airlines won't be able to sell as many seats, among other things. What's more, the delays and cancellations could also impact other sectors of the economy.

The new research comes after dozens of flights were canceled in Phoenix in June, as the "extreme heat" made it too hot for planes to fly.