Southwest Airlines says there have been a series of exploding soda cans on flights across the US, with record temperatures believed to be behind the fizzy drinks fiasco.
Airline officials The Washington Post At least 20 flight attendants have been injured by spilled drinks since the start of this summer alone.
“We are aware of this issue and have begun mitigating steps,” company spokesman Chris Perry told the outlet.
Southwest doesn’t serve perishable food on its flights, so it doesn’t use refrigerated trucks to transport beverages on board like other airlines.
Soda cans stored at various airports would likely heat up and explode when opened at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
While incidents of exploding soda cans have occurred before, airlines acknowledge the number of injuries is on the rise this summer as extreme heat hits the country.
“Airports where we have a large presence, including Las Vegas, Phoenix and many airports in Texas, continue to experience record temperatures with severe heat arriving early and lasting through the summer,” Perry said.
“We take steps to educate and mitigate all heat-related hazards for the safety of our employees and customers.”
Southwest Airlines says it is working to resolve soda storage issues in cities including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas and Houston.
The airline also instructed ground crews to take the temperature of soda cans before loading them onto planes.
A Southwest Airlines spokesman declined to disclose the nature of the flight attendant’s injuries.
No passenger injuries were reported.
