The temporary disruption at London’s Luton Airport on Monday when soaring temperatures caused a small section of the asphalt to lift is an example of the challenges airports face in making their infrastructure resilient to climate change, experts say.
Below is an explanation of how global airports are coping with extreme heat and what may be needed to prevent future interruption from further heatwaves.
What happened at Luton and why?
The Luton runway was closed for nearly two hours on Monday, prompting airlines to delay or divert flights as temperatures rose above 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit), adding to industry headaches in what has been a chaotic summer travel season in Europe.
