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Phoenix Heatwave Forces American Airlines to Cancel 50 Flights

June 21, 2017
2 min read
American Airlines Planes at O'Hare
Phoenix Heatwave Forces American Airlines to Cancel 50 Flights
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Those living in or visiting Phoenix aren't the only ones feeling the heat with record-breaking temperatures this week. Airlines — and specifically American Airlines — have been forced to cancel flights into and out of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) because the heat has proven to be too scorching to operate some aircraft.

The triple-digit temperatures that have plagued Phoenix during this week's heatwave have forced American to cancel 50 flights. On Tuesday, Phoenix hit a daily record when temperatures reached a scorching 119°F. And, as a result, AA was forced to cancel 43 flights that were scheduled to operate to or from PHX. On Monday, seven flights were canceled when temperatures peaked at 118°F.

"The primary concern is regional aircraft that are operated by Mesa and SkyWest," a spokesman from AA said. "We use CRJs, and their maximum operating temperature is 118 degrees. Boeing/Airbus is higher."

If you're traveling to or from Phoenix today and your flight is scheduled to arrive or depart between 3:00pm and 6:00pm, AA is offering the flexibility to change your travel without a fee. If this impacts your flight, you can call AA reservations at 1-800-433-7300. In addition, AA is recommending to check the status of your flight on aa.com before heading to the airport.

AA doesn't anticipate that the heat will impact any of its flights past today.

Featured image by Corbis via Getty Images

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