Southwest Airlines Addresses Exploding Soda Cans Due to Extreme Heat

The Problem of Exploding Soda Cans

• ⚠️ Extreme heat and carbonation are causing soda cans to burst midair on some Southwest Airlines flights.
• 💥 This phenomenon has led to injuries among employees who handle the cans.

Southwest's Unique Challenge

• ✈️ The issue is specific to Southwest Airlines because they do not serve fresh food and rely on prepackaged snacks.
• 🌡️ Unlike other major carriers, Southwest historically lacked refrigerated vehicles to provision planes, leading to cans being exposed to high temperatures.
• 📈 The problem began to emerge around 2020 during prolonged periods of extreme heat (above 110°F) in hubs like Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The Solution Implemented

• 🚚 Southwest has invested in a multi-million dollar effort to resolve the exploding can issue.
• ❄️ They have purchased 60 refrigerated provisioning trucks for their hottest stations in Phoenix and Las Vegas.
• 🧊 The goal of these trucks is to maintain cans at around room temperature, even when external temperatures soar above 110°F.
• 👂 Employees reported hearing cans deforming before seeing them when temperatures reached critical levels.