Why Airplanes Are So Cold

Air travel is a luxury many of us enjoy ― but one common gripe is how cold it can get while you’re on the plane.

Even after putting on the sweatshirt you packed in your carry-on bag and turning off the air vent above you, the temperature on your plane may still feel chilly, especially once you’re in the air. So why does this happen? There are a few reasons ― and some of them are actually intentional.

“There is … a science behind the cold cabin, and it’s [often] for your benefit,” said Jay Robert, a senior international cabin crew member, former flight attendant and creator of A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge.

We talked to travel experts about how temperature is controlled throughout the aircraft, why the cabin often feels cooler once the plane is in flight, and tips for staying comfortable.

When your plane is at the gate, there is usually an external air conditioner, which you may have noticed as “big yellow tubes connected to the plane,” Robert said.

An auxiliary power unit, a small engine located in the tail of the aircraft, is also used to try to cool a hot cabin when the plane is on the ground. When you’re in the air, most planes have a cooling system that works when the engine is on.

Generally, once you’re in flight, “pilots control the master thermostat, and then the crew in the cabin can move that up or down slightly using their cabin control system,” Robert said, adding, “If we need to make a significant change, we must call the pilots and ask them to do it.”

While many airlines have set cabin temperature policies, there is currently no federal regulation for cabin temperature, according to Taylor Garland, spokesperson for the Association of Flight Attendants. The AFA submitted a petition in 2018 to the Department of Transportation for a cabin temperature standard. The DOT is still studying if standards should be set for cabin temperatures, according to The New York Times.

First of all, the temperature inside an airplane is controlled by zones, which vary by aircraft type and size, Garland explained.

“It’s an imperfect science,” she said. “If a zone is large and/or the temperature sensor is near a source of heat — just like if the thermostat at home is near a heating vent — then the system will think…