Extreme weather is forcing redesign of world’s busiest airports
Airports around the world are relocating sensitive electrical equipment to rooftops to protect it from flooding, reinforcing runways to handle extreme temperature swings and revving up air conditioning as climate change complicates operations. In New York, the $19b redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport includes preparing for more extreme weather events such as storm surges and coastal floodings. Up north in Alaska, melting permafrost is forcing fortification of runways, while in Europe, contractors are studying building materials that allow runways to handle bigger temperatures swings or redesigning buildings for sweltering summers. “The impact of climate change has humbled us all,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns JFK along with the smaller LaGuardia and Newark airports. While the aviation industry has promised to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, harsher weather conditions are already forcing a rethink of critical infrastructure in airports and airfields across the world. The rise in sea level alone means airports may have to spend $57b to maintain current risk levels by the end of the century, according to a Climate Risk Management report published in 2021 by Newcastle University and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the UK. Heat waves this summer across the US, Europe and Asia put pressure on cooling systems at airports — which are crucial not just for keeping passengers comfortable but also ensuring critical electronic systems don’t overheat. Sudden rainstorms in August made planes at Frankfurt, Germany’s busiest airport, look like they had been parked in a lake, while last year’s hot temperatures in the UK caused London Luton Airport’s runway to buckle. Runways contain different mixtures of asphalt depending on a region’s climate. A surface in Dubai, for example, is made up of a different composition to withstand higher temperatures than one in the UK, which is now sweating under hot temperature for long periods. Story has more.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-09-18/general/extreme-weather-is-forcing-redesign-of-world2019s-busiest-airports
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Extreme weather is forcing redesign of world’s busiest airports
Airports around the world are relocating sensitive electrical equipment to rooftops to protect it from flooding, reinforcing runways to handle extreme temperature swings and revving up air conditioning as climate change complicates operations. In New York, the $19b redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport includes preparing for more extreme weather events such as storm surges and coastal floodings. Up north in Alaska, melting permafrost is forcing fortification of runways, while in Europe, contractors are studying building materials that allow runways to handle bigger temperatures swings or redesigning buildings for sweltering summers. “The impact of climate change has humbled us all,” said Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns JFK along with the smaller LaGuardia and Newark airports. While the aviation industry has promised to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, harsher weather conditions are already forcing a rethink of critical infrastructure in airports and airfields across the world. The rise in sea level alone means airports may have to spend $57b to maintain current risk levels by the end of the century, according to a Climate Risk Management report published in 2021 by Newcastle University and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in the UK. Heat waves this summer across the US, Europe and Asia put pressure on cooling systems at airports — which are crucial not just for keeping passengers comfortable but also ensuring critical electronic systems don’t overheat. Sudden rainstorms in August made planes at Frankfurt, Germany’s busiest airport, look like they had been parked in a lake, while last year’s hot temperatures in the UK caused London Luton Airport’s runway to buckle. Runways contain different mixtures of asphalt depending on a region’s climate. A surface in Dubai, for example, is made up of a different composition to withstand higher temperatures than one in the UK, which is now sweating under hot temperature for long periods. Story has more.<br/>
