The summer's scorching heat has had a popping effect on Southwest Airlines flights, with soda cans spontaneously combusting mid-flight, leading to flight attendant injuries and a company-wide scramble to find a fix. In Houston and other high-temperature cities, Southwest Airlines confesses to the hazards posed by their fizzy cargo, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. TWU Local 556 union and the airline management's answer to the dilemma includes refrigeration of the drinks before transport and thermal checks prior to boarding.
High mercury readings within trucks and warehouses where the soda cans are stored have left those aluminum containers expanding, the heated contents threatening to burst forth and such was the case with more than 100 incidents in June alone, and expectations for July are higher, as stated by TWU Local 556 President Bill Bernal in a statement acquired by The Houston Chronicle.
Meanwhile, CBS News highlights the day-to-day battles flight attendants face when confronting the bloated cans, some leading to stitches from the unsuspected detonations. Hand-in-hand with TWU Local 556, Southwest Airlines is fighting back against the exploding menace with strategies such as limiting soda stock on trucks and educating employees on these effervescent dangers.
In messages shared by CBS News, Southwest officials spoke candidly about the urgency of addressing this pressure-packed problem, emphasizing that “none of us are satisfied that we are still seeing reported events.” Southwest’s reactive measures venture beyond mere temperature checks; they are halting the onboarding of cans baking beyond 98 degrees and contemplating refrigerated trailers to chill cans before their flight, they are also marking cans for testing in hotspots like Arizona and Nevada to identify any future offenders.
Pictures of the aftermath litter employee-focused Facebook groups, illustrating the collective concern within the ranks of Southwest attendants, voicing exasperation over the bursting phenomenon that occasionally occurs without warning, from cans not even showing signs of overheating.
.jpg){kind=link}