An unprecedented number of airline passengers may face another mishap in their flying experience—exploding soda cans.
ABOVE Southwest AirlinesAt least 20 flight attendants have been injured this summer by carbonated drinks exploding when they tried to open them, a phenomenon the airline has blamed on record-breaking summer temperatures, according to Washington Post.
So far, there have been no reports of passengers being injured by the soda cans. parcel While the airline has experienced similar incidents in the past, this summer has seen an increase, the airline added.
Southwest did not immediately respond to a request for comment but told parcel“We are aware of this issue and have begun taking steps to try to mitigate it.”
Aside from the exploding can, many travelers did not enjoy their flying experience. Air travel complaints to rise to nearly 100,000 by 2023highest level since the pandemic began. And on Friday, a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike causing massive power outages for companies that rely on the servicescancel flights globally.
As the airline’s name suggests, Southwest has a large presence in cities like Dallas, Phoenix, Houston and Las Vegas, many of which have experienced record-breaking temperatures this summer due to climate change. In Vegas, June 20 was the hottest day ever recorded in Sin City, reached 117 degrees. At Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, 14 different days last month had temperatures above 110 degrees.
Southwest may be more vulnerable to extreme temperatures than other airlines. Because it doesn’t serve perishable meals on its flights, soda cans are transported in unrefrigerated trucks that get very hot when temperatures reach triple digits.
To address this issue, Southwest has introduced a number of safety measures to minimize the risk of soda explosions, according to CBS. Ground crews have been instructed to measure the temperature of the trucks—and the cans—before the drinks are loaded onto planes, and flight attendants have been told not to open cans that appear to be physically deformed. The airline is also testing some refrigerated trucks in Las Vegas. In an internal email obtained by CBS, the company said that “working out viable solutions to break hot cans is our top priority.”
Southwest may be facing more serious problems than exploding soda cans. The low-cost carrier recently cut its second-quarter revenue outlook, citing “complexity in adjusting revenue management to current booking patterns in this dynamic environment.”
David Neeleman, founder of Breeze Airlines as well as several other airlines, speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference this week that Southwest’s struggles may be the result of consumers being willing to spend more on its rivals.
“One of the reasons Southwest is struggling now is because this type of seat-scratching used to be very popular in the ’70s, ’80s, even ’90s, but today when Delta is so much better, when United is so much better, people don’t want to fight for seats anymore,” he said.
