Extreme heat continues to affect large parts of the United States. However, the high temperatures have been causing an unimaginable hazard on Southwest Airlines flights, specifically, exploding soda cans.

What's Going On?

Southwest officials say they are aware of incidents involving soda cans rupturing while being opened in flight. So far, 20 Southwest employees have sustained injuries as a result of these explosions, most related to the hands, with at least one having to get stitches.

The exact frequency of soda can explosion events has not been specified. Furthermore, no passenger injuries have been reported.

This is not a new issue for Southwest. The carrier experienced similar issues last year; however, this year's instances have only made headlines because they appear to be happening more frequently.

A Southwest spokesperson commented the following when speaking to The Independent:

"We're aware of this issue and have been taking steps to keep beverages cooler onboard, especially in our airports that are experiencing extreme temperatures. It's a cross-functional effort between our airport teams and those in the air."
 

Southwest has communicated with its employees about this issue throughout the spring and summer. Spokespeople for the carrier added that officials have developed a plan to address the issue.

Why is ONLY Southwest Affected?

This is probably the first thing you started wondering after reading: Why does it appear that this issue is happening exclusively on Southwest flights?

The issue stems from how Southwest stores and loads drinks on planes. Believe it or not, Southwest does not stock perishables onboard and, therefore, does not use air-conditioned catering trucks to bring in drinks and snacks.

Not using air-conditioned trucks is something that only Southwest seems to do, as most other U.S. carriers use air-conditioned catering trucks.

As such, not using air-conditioned trucks means that the drinks being transported are continuously exposed to outside temperatures. 

This means the likelihood of the soda cans exploding is higher at major Southwest operations in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Austin, and Houston, as these cities are some of many that experience extreme heat.

But why do soda cans explode? Heat can create extreme pressure inside the can. This buildup of pressure ultimately causes the can to explode when opened. 

Also, due to that pressure, soda cans become very warped during high heat. So, just as a pro tip, be very careful if it's a hot day out, and you see a soda can that looks a little funky.

Southwest is testing various methods to mitigate the risk of ruptured cans.

These include stocking fewer cans on trucks, limiting the amount of time items spend in the heat, putting drinks in coolers when on the trucks, monitoring the temperature on trucks during shifts, and not boarding the drinks onto the aircraft when the outside temperature reaches levels known to increase the risk of bursting cans.

The airline has instructed employees not to open cans that are too hot or deformed due to heat exposure. Furthermore, it is taking steps to determine the temperature of the cans to further ensure its crew's safety. If the can is measured to be above 98 degrees, it will be returned to the warehouse.

As a sign of making proper changes, Southwest has started testing air-conditioned catering trucks in Las Vegas, an area known to experience temperatures in the triple digits at various points during the year.