Tuesday afternoon temperatures in Arizona are projected to skyrocket. Among the many safety issues this presents to the human beings living in Arizona today, it also presents safety issues for transportation. American Airlines has announced it will be grounding 43 flights going to Phoenix, Arizona, as well as shorter flights that were to leave Phoenix today.
The cancellations so far are limited to shorter flights headed for places like Flagstaff, Yuma, and Tucson.
As American Airlines explained in a statement today, those flights use Bombardier CRJ regional aircraft, which have a maximum operating temperature of 118 degrees. Tuesday's afternoon temperatures are expected to reach 120 degrees, meaning that those planes won't be able to take off or land at Sky Harbor.
The Phoenix New Times reports that larger planes, used for longer flights, have so far not been affected by the heat wave.