Blazing temperatures make soda cans explode on Southwest Airlines, injuring flight attendants

Extreme heat is causing canned carbonated drinks to explode while being opened by flight attendants on some Southwest Airlines flights, according to airline officials.

“We’re aware of the issue and have been taking steps to keep onboard beverages cooler, especially in our airports experiencing extreme temperatures,” said Chris Perry, spokesman for Southwest Airlines. “It’s a cross-functional effort between our airport teams and those in the air.”

The incidents have mostly occurred on flights out of airports in Phoenix and Las Vegas, which have been gripped by brutal heat waves, with triple digit temperatures forecast for this week. Other cities include Austin, Houston, Dallas and Sacramento.

The airline did not know how many incidents have been reported so far or how many employees have been hurt by the exploding cans.

“But one incident is already too many,” Perry said. “That’s why we are addressing it.”

He said no passengers have been hurt.

CBS News, which reported the story first, said about 20 flight attendants had been injured by the rupturing cans, including one who needed stitches.

Perry said part of the problem might have to do with the way Southwest stores and loads drinks on planes. Unlike other airlines, he said, Southwest does not stock perishables on board and rarely uses air-conditioned catering trucks.

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In an effort to address the exploding cans problem, he said, the airline implemented a series of procedures that include using coolers and directing ground crews to return carbonated can drinks with a temperature of 98 degrees or more back to the warehouse to cool down. Flight attendants have also been asked not to open cans that appear deformed.

“We’re also testing the use of some air-conditioned trucks in Phoenix and Las Vegas,” he said. “The two markets have essentially high temperatures and are two of our biggest operations.”

The measures were similar to those listed in an internal email to employees that CBS News obtained.

In the July 12 email, titled “Hot & Bursting Cans: Provisioning Procedural Changes,” company officials said finding solutions to the “bursting hot cans” was a top priority and listed a series of changes the company was implementing such as limiting the amount of time the cans spend in the heat and stocking fewer cans on provisioning trucks.

Perry said the changes appeared to be helping so far, as there have been fewer incidents.