Why are airplanes so cold? It’s for your health.
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I was recently preparing for a long-distance flight, when a friend took note of what I was packing in my carry-on. Along with my daily essentials, I’d stuffed in a puffy jacket, thick socks, and a winter hat. “Aren’t you heading to Vietnam?” He asked.
“I’m pretty sure it’s hot there.” “These aren’t for Vietnam,” I told him. “They’re for the plane.” Airplane cabins are kept notoriously cold. What’s more is that these frigid temperatures are absolutely intentional, Bobby Laurie, a former flight attendant and co-host of the travel and lifestyle talk show, The Jet Set, tells Popular Science.
“Look at the flight attendants next time you’re boarding a plane,” says Laurie. “It might be July in Miami and a temperature of 95 degrees outside, but they’re all wearing jackets and sweaters. They don’t really care what’s happening on the other side of that airplane.
They’re prepared for what’s going to happen inside.” Popular Science turned to Laurie to fill us in on the scientific reasoning behind this excessive chill, and to find out why flight crews don’t just turn up the temp on planes? In the end, all that cold air is about much more than personal preference. “The sweet spot for a plane’s cabin temperature is somewhere between 70 and 75 degrees,” says Laurie.
It’s an indoor temperature that in most cases feels comfortable. But since airplane cabins are already kept at a lower humidity (typically ranging from 10 to 20 percent at cruising altitude, drier than most deserts) to help prevent frame corrosion, the air can feel much colder. Most commercial airlines keep their cabins in this temperature range for one main reason: to prevent passengers from fainting.
On a plane, the danger of someone suffering hypoxia, a condition in which a person doesn’t get enough oxygen, often causing them to pass out, is a real possibility. In fact, passengers fainting on planes happens more often than you might think, says Laurie. It’s especially common on red-eye flights.
“People tend to be a little disoriented when they wake in the middle of a flight,” he says. “Many times, they’ll just stand up and immediately hit the floor.”
Think About This
What questions does this story raise for you? Talk with your family: Why does this news matter? Who is affected? What might happen next? Is there anything you can do?
- Ask your child: “What do you think scientists discovered about airplanes cold? What part surprised you most?”
- Explore together: Search for “airplanes cold” on NASA Kids’ Club, DK Find Out, or National Geographic Kids for more kid-friendly facts.
- Critical thinking: Science findings can change as more research is done. Ask: “How would scientists test this? What would prove them wrong?”
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