Extreme heat in Palm Springs behind flight cancellation, airline confirms
An airline spokesperson now confirms to News Channel 3 that the extreme heat was a factor in a flight that was at first delayed, then canceled from departing Palm Springs International Airport.
A viewer who was on United flight 5512 to Denver told News Channel 3 on Thursday that passengers were told the flight was canceled due to the heat. The viewer said they were on sitting on the plane for about two hours.
SkyWest responded to News Channel 3's inquiries Friday morning. In a statement, saying:
Yesterday, SkyWest Airlines Flight 5512, operating as United Express from Palm Springs to Denver, experienced a delay and was later cancelled due to high temperatures in Palm Springs and thunderstorms in Denver. We apologize for the inconvenience and are reaccommodating passengers on other flights
Allie Adee, SkyWest
There were multiple departing flights at Palm Springs International Airport delayed Thursday afternoon.
According to the airport's website as of Thursday evening, four departures have been delayed for several hours and one flight to Denver was canceled. As of Friday morning, two flights have relatively short delays noted.
Denver was under a threat of severe storms Thursday, which contributed to the delay for at least one flight.
We reached out to the airport to verify the reason for the issue, however, we were directed to contact the airlines for the specific reason.
Anyone with flights out of Palm Springs International Airport over the next couple of days should check the flight status at flypsp.com.
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
Summer travel: Why extreme heat can disrupt your upcoming flight plans
At the start of this recent heat wave, News Channel 3's Jennifer Franco explained in a report how heat can disrupt air travel. You can watch that in the player below.
High temperatures have been known to impact air travel, including at the Palm Springs International Airport. In June of 2017, about four dozen local flights were canceled from PSP to Phoenix due to operational concerns brought on by high temperatures.
Monday in Las Vegas, a Delta passenger was hospitalized with a heat-related illness after the plane sat on the tarmac for hours.
A Witness told ABC News that multiple passengers were treated after experiencing extreme heat while the plane was taxiing at Harry Reid International Airport.
Passengers sat inside the plane for over an hour in 111-degree temperatures, according to ABC News.
According to the Department of Transportation, airlines are required to provide comfortable cabin temperatures during tarmac delays.
Airlines can be fined up to $27,500 per passenger for tarmac delays over three hours.
