Meteorology in the air: How weather impacts airlines and air travel

You can't talk about air travel without talking about weather. That's why all major airlines employ their own team of meteorologists. But what are their specifc responsibilities and how do they help get the planes where they need to be?

David Dillahunt, the chief meteorologist at Southwest Airlines, joins the podcast to explain how he and his team support the daily decisions on air traffic — including delays, reroutes, and cancelations. He also discusses what weather concerns airlines the most and why flying first thing in the morning is usually the best decision during the summer. It's an episode you'll definitely want to listen to before (or on!) your next flight.

We want to hear from you!

Have a question for the meteorologists? Call 609-272-7099 and leave a message. You might hear your question and get an answer on a future episode! You can also email questions or comments to podcasts@lee.net, subject line: Across The Sky.

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About the Across the Sky podcast

A weekly podcast discussing all things weather and climate. The podcast is hosted by the meteorologists of the Lee Weather Team:

Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.

The Lee Weather Team hosts a fast-paced weekly podcast that tackles hot topics (and cold!) plus what’s trending in meteorology, science and climate. The show isn't limited to hard science as our hosts and guests tug at your emotions from stories out in the elements. The Lee Weather team features Matt Holiner of Lee Enterprises' Midwest group in Chicago, Kirsten Lang of the Tulsa World in Oklahoma, Joe Martucci of the Press of Atlantic City, N.J., and Sean Sublette of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.