British Airways
The British Airways flight was due to leave Florence for London City but was grounded because the plane was too heavy to take off in the extreme 35C heat
A British Airways plane
20 people had to be deplaned(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Twenty passengers were asked to leave a British Airways flight after the aircraft became too heavy for take-off due to extreme heat.
Italy’s scorching temperatures on 11 August resulted in less dense air, necessitating more fuel for the plane to reach cruising altitude and reach its destination in the UK.
This additional fuel weight led to the unfortunate removal of some passengers.
The BA Embraer ERJ-190 was set to fly from Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci airport London City
The situation was exacerbated by the airport’s short runway, which is half the length of Gatwick’s.
A mother aboard the evacuated flight shared: “The pilot said people had to get off because of the extreme heat.
“It was around 35 degrees and they needed extra fuel for the engine to run effectively.
“The staff said 36 would have to be unloaded but only about 20 people had to get off in the end.”, reports the Mirror.
British Airways extended their apologies to the affected passengers.
A spokesperson stated: “Due to the unique nature of the airfield with its short runway, extreme temperatures affect air pressure, so aircraft weight must be reduced.
“We’re sorry for the inconvenience. Our teams worked hard to get passengers to their destination as quickly as possible.”
As reported in the Sun, Dr Jonny Williams, an aviation expert at the University of Reading, warned: “Hot summer days when smaller airports have to reduce their weight will get more common.
“Conditions which used to happen about one day in a summer may happen three or four days a week by the 2060s.
“Jetting off to Spain, Italy or Greece may become pricier as aircraft carry fewer passengers owing to climate change.”
