Why does it feel so cold on flights?
You might have booked your flight during the sun-kissed and very hot summer season. Yet, during the flight, it starts getting so cold. Ever wondered why? Did you know that airlines actually maintain cold temperatures on flights on purpose and it is purely for a medical reason?
Fainting!

Did you know that people are more likely to fall on flights more than on land? That’s why airlines tend to make the temperature very cold on flights. The only reason is that surprisingly, cold temperatures would help curb the fainting issue and would help prevent people faint.
Why are people more likely to faint on airlines?

The answer is just one word: Hypoxia! Hypoxia a medical term that stands for the decreased supply of oxygen to our body parts and organs. On flights, we are more likely to suffer from hypoxia. Hypoxia, in turn, could make you more liable to faint.
Why do we get hypoxia?
There are several reasons why you could suffer from hypoxia on flights. One reason is high altitude. High altitude decreases the pressure on the flight. This decreases the capability of oxygen to be saturated in your blood cells so that blood cells could transport them to your body organs. Accordingly, less oxygen would be supplied to your body.
But what does it have to do with keeping it cold on flights?
Medically, a certain warm temperature could make you more liable too faint. However, this triggering temperature differs from one body to another. Setting an ideally warm temperature on a flight might be okay to some passengers’ bodies but might also be too warm to other passengers making them more liable to faint. Therefore, airlines stay on the safe side and set a bit cold temperature on the flights rather than having to cause anyone faint!
References:
- Featured image: https://www.smartertravel.com/do-airplane-blankets-really-not-get-washed/
- https://www.insider.com/why-so-cold-on-planes-2017-7
- https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/Hypoxia-Markers-and-Their-Importance.aspx
- https://www.flypgs.com/en/travel-glossary/hypoxia
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