Wildfires continue to burn across eastern Canada, with meteorologists warning that smoke levels and air quality will continue to worsen across the eastern U.S. Still, domestic flights continue to operate as normal.
AccuWeather predicts it could be next week before the air quality improves, but reduced visibility shouldn’t affect travel beyond diminished views and possible turbulence.
Travelers can expect “reduced visibility and some particulates from the smoke entering the aircraft through engine pressurization bleed air,” Bob Mann, an airline industry consultant and former airline executive, said. Even so, he said this debris passes through internal filtration and recirculation systems, away from passengers.
“Reduced visibility, but not as bad as a foggy, low cloud, poor weather day,” Mann said, while noting it will have “no adverse impact on engines, unlike the scouring of volcanic dust, for example.”
On Wednesday morning, airports were running more or less as usual, with a few scattered delays and cancellations. Most flights were operating on time, according to FlightAware.
On Tuesday, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air-quality health advisory for all five boroughs of New York City, warning certain people to limit their time outdoors.
“Currently, we are taking precautions out of an abundance of caution to protect New Yorkers’ health until we are able to get a better sense of future air quality reports. We recommend all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Those with preexisting respiratory problems, like heart or breathing problems, as well as children and older adults may be especially sensitive and should stay indoors at this time.”
As of 9:47 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Detroit had the worst air quality of any U.S. city, followed by New York City, per IQAir data. Across both the Northeast and Midwest, people reported “eye-watering smoke from the fires,” per The New York Times.
Still, pilots are operating out of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and the three New York City-area airports as normal; there is some warning of increased turbulence via Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
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“It was eerie descending into the haze and smoke as the world outside turned a burnt orange instead of a dark gray as it usually does in clouds,” a pilot at a major U.S. airline, who asked TPG not to publish their name in the story, said of a flight out of EWR on Tuesday. “No issues with navigation or engines, and our plane did a great job of filtering the air, but there was a lot of turbulence, and we ran into a wind shear not associated with a thunderstorm, which was unusual.”
Although this shouldn’t affect travel within the U.S., this is a developing story that we will continue to update.
Additional reporting by David Slotnick.
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