Possible issues with flights at McCarran Airport because of extreme heat

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The extreme heat may be causing issues with flights at McCarran International Airport.

13 Action News reached out to McCarran because of posts on Twitter claiming that flights have been canceled.

McCarran responded to one tweet from @LasVegasLocally about canceled flights and said that they do not cancel flights and travelers should check with the airline they chose.

In their emailed response to 13 Action News, they told us to check out the tweet below.

Southwest Airlines responded to customer complaints on Twitter admitting that the extreme heat was causing issues with their flights.

Southwest Airlines also sent this statement to 13 Action News:

We’re making operational adjustments to minimize both the number and the duration of delays for our Customers as operations at McCarran are impacted by the temperature. Our Employees at McCarran are working through the heat to keep people and bags moving with the Hospitality for which Southwest is known. Customers traveling today should check Southwest.com for updates on specific flights.

We had 191 departures scheduled from McCarran today.

This notice is posted on the FAA's website. The notice indicates that some arriving flights are being delayed and that it is also affecting departing flights.

Extreme heat creates thinner air, which means it doesn’t have the necessary density to give the plane enough lift to take off or land. Heat also limits a plane’s ability to climb properly and the bigger the plane, the bigger the problem.