Rising temperatures could keep more flights from taking off on timeFILE - A jet takes flight as heat ripples radiate from the runway at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, on July 25, 2023. Aircraft at higher elevations are already operating in thinner air, so temperatures don’t have to climb as high to affect takeoff performance. The 2020s have also been exceedingly hot at Palm Springs International Airport. The following year, the airline canceled dozens of regional flights in Arizona as temperatures in Phoenix climbed toward 120 F (49 C). In July 2018, some airlines bumped passengers at Denver International Airport to later flights as temperatures reached 98 F (37 C), KDVR-TV in Denver reported.