The reason it’s always freezing on planes
It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold outside one thing is sure when you’re flying, it will be freezing inside the plane.
But it turns out there’s an important reason why the in-flight temperatures are kept so close to freezing.
A study published in American Society for Testing and Materials found that warmer cabin temperatures increase the risk of passengers fainting.
The likelihood of fainting is “higher aboard an aircraft than on the ground” due to “reduced pulmonary ventilation”, or reduced blood flow to the brain, the study noted.
On a flight with hundreds of people on board, cabin crew will err on the side of caution and keep temperatures low.
The low temps also help reduce the risk of dehydration. As the air on planes is already dry, a warmer temperature could further dehydrate people, causing nausea and illness.
Next time you’re on a plane, make sure you pack on the layers to keep warm during your long-haul flights.