There will be 1200 take-offs and landings at Schiphol on Tuesday. “The taxiways and runways are asphalted and we monitor the temperature closely on days like this,” a spokesperson said. “To prevent damage to the runways in hot weather, we spray them with water.” Focus is on certain locations where the aircraft needs to make a sharp turn, called ‘hotspots’. Water tanks are brought to the site by tractors.
Luton Airport in England had to cancel all flights on Monday because the runway was not sufficiently protected due to melting asphalt. Last week, a military airbase in the country was closed for the same reason.
Schiphol reports that taking off in hot weather is more difficult. “Heat creates thinner air, which means more power is needed for takeoff. So more fuel, higher ground speed and longer runways are needed to get passengers and cargo airborne. These measures are sufficient to ease traffic in the current hot climate,” the airport said.
On Tuesday, 55,000 passengers will depart from the national airport. In the afternoon, we have to wait again in the ‘camping tent’ set up outside due to lack of security personnel inside and increased passenger traffic. There have been complaints on Twitter about the air conditioning not working at the airport. Airport staff handed out ice cream and water to waiting passengers on Tuesday.
“Inside, we do our best to control the temperature in the terminal by blowing cool air in and keeping the blinds and doors closed as much as possible. But it’s going to be a hot day inside the terminal, just like it is outside,” reports Schiphol.
