Spirit responds over Hurricane Erin flightpath safety concerns
Budget carrier Spirit Airlines has responded after taking heat for seemingly flying a plane through the path of Hurricane Erin this week.
The flight from Philadelphia to San Juan landed safely and no injuries were reported.
The airline insisted it was safe.
“Safety is always our top priority. Our pilots followed procedures and Air Traffic Control (ATC) instructions while en route to San Juan. Our Operations Control Center closely tracks weather systems to determine flight paths that safely navigate around or above adverse weather.”
According to one expert, the plane flew above the storm at 37,000 feet and wasn’t adversely affected.
Erin was a Category 4 hurricane at the time.
FlightRadar24 posted a live map that seemed to show the plane flying through the storm’s path.
“Flying through a hurricane at altitude is not particularly hazardous, particularly if you are above the tops of the clouds and the turbulent layer,” said MIT professor John Hansman.
“The winds are not a problem at altitude and it is common for aircraft to fly in high winds aloft in the jet stream. It is more hazardous to land or take off in those conditions.”
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