As the atmosphere warms and weather grows more volatile, the skies over Europe are becoming a more contested and precarious space. A single June day in which 900 flights were delayed across London's airports offered a glimpse of what aviation may increasingly face — not as exception, but as condition. From rising seas threatening coastal runways to invisible turbulence intensifying over the North Atlantic, climate change is quietly reshaping the terms on which humanity moves through the air. The industry is beginning to reckon with a future in which adaptation is not optional, and the cost of
Climate change threatens to ground aviation with more storms, delays and costly disruptions
Potential safety risks including aircraft fuel emergencies and passenger injuries from severe turbulence; tens of thousands affected by airport closures like Dubai's 2024 flooding.