Longer Flights Due To Climate Change

Climate change can make transatlantic flights longer, a recent study has claimed.

00:00 11 February 2016

Global warming is likely to speed up the jet stream and slow down aeroplanes heading for the US. Researchers from the University of Reading said that although eastbound flights from the US will be quicker, roundtrip journeys will “significantly lengthen.”

 

The study’s lead author, Dr Paul Williams, said: "If you look at the round trips, the eastbound flights are getting shorter by less than the westbound flights are getting longer,"

 

"So there is a robust increase in the round-trip journey time, which means planes spending longer in the air, when you add that up for all transatlantic aircraft you get an extra 2,000 hours of planes in the air every year, with $22 million extra in fuel costs and 70 million kg of CO2."

 

Dr William added: "We know what drives the jet stream, it's the temperature difference between the warm tropical regions and the cold polar regions at flight levels,"

 

"We understand what that temperature difference is going to do in response to global warming, it's increasing, we are very confident that the jet stream is increasing as a consequence."

 

Other scientists have welcomed the study.

 

Dr Kristopher Karnauskas, from the University of Colorado, Boulder, said: "This study builds on the concept that my team published last year showing that there is a two-way relationship between climate change and air travel.”

 

"I think these results are an important step forward in filling in the overall puzzle that is this intricate relationship that we humans have with the climate system."