The thermometer read 80 degrees in New York last month when I headed to Newark International Airport. But inside the airport I was met with air so cool I topped my T-shirt with a sweater … then a denim jacket … and then the scarf I always bring in my carry-on bag. Sound familiar? Airports often seem to border walk-in meat-cooler territory, and there’s a lot of speculation out there as to why. But what’s the real reason, and why does it seem so hard to get right?
Ken Warren, a mechanical professional engineer and assistant director of aviation facilities and infrastructure at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, knows firsthand the difficulties of managing passenger comfort: “Being a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) engineer for an airport requires you to understand the type of space you’re looking at, the situations you need to apply HVAC techniques to in order to provide the best air quality and the best delivery for the public—passengers and workers—so everyone has the best chance to be comfortable.”
In other words, it’s not as simple as setting the thermostat at home. Ahead, Warren breaks down the real reasons why it always seems so frosty on the way to your flight. Plus, Clint Henderson, travel expert and spokesperson for The Points Guy, explains why you should definitely add a sweater when you pack your suitcase.
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Just how chilly are airports?
Well, it depends. “It seems like such an easy question: Why can’t the air just be a certain temperature inside an airport?” Warren says. “But it’s a serious challenge.”
The professional organization ASHRAE is the gold standard for airport HVAC systems design, and Warren says it recommends a broad temperature range of 70 to 75 degrees. But that’s not the whole story. “Typically, you want to be in that 70- to 72-degree range, which is optimum year-round, but you may not be able to get there” because of energy codes and other constraints, he says.
With moderate temps like that, it’s pretty clear that HVAC temperature settings alone are probably not the reason you’re feeling cold at the airport. Here’s what’s really going on.
Why do airports always feel so cold?
Again, it depends. It’s important to understand that thermal comfort (aka how cold or hot you feel) relies on multiple factors, including the air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity and air velocity, as well as personal characteristics like how much clothing you’re wearing and your metabolic rate.
System designers and facilities managers like Warren can only control for the first four, and they have to balance passenger comfort with indoor air quality and other logistical issues. Let’s dig into those reasons below.
Airports are pressurized
Warren says to think of an airport as a big, blown-up balloon. To maintain good indoor air quality, HVAC systems have to continuously push a little bit of air outside to keep exhaust from idling planes and vehicles from being drawn inside the building. (“There’s a tremendous amount of doors in and around an international airport,” Warren says.)
Maintaining this outward air movement, aka “positive pressure,” is challenging because there are so many different spaces in an airport, from narrow corridors and jet bridges to giant open malls and restaurants. You’re going to get air currents and imbalances, and that’s what people notice. “You feel the wind upon your skin,” Warren says.
In other words, it’s the breeze, not an AC cranked low, making you shiver. “The deviations of all these spaces, and the pressurization, is probably what causes folks to complain about airports being on the cool side,” Warren says. “It’s probably not temperature but airflow.”
Air handlers deliver very cold, high-velocity air
Did you know that HVAC systems in cooling mode deliver air at around 55 degrees? Yep, and not just at the airport. Warren says even office buildings have the same setup. The air comes out super cold, then hugs the wall and mixes with the existing air to eventually get to the desired 70 or 72 degrees when it hits your head and shoulders.
But large spaces often require an even colder air supply, and they need a little extra oomph to get it mixed. “In a lot of our large spaces, we use extremely high-velocity air,” Warren says.
He gives an example: “You ever been in a basketball arena and go, ‘Wow, that feels cool?’ And then it goes away, and you’re like, ‘What was that?'” Warren asks. “Well, that was probably the HVAC system that just had a little jet of cold air because it was in cooling mode, and you just happened to be standing there, and it was like 40 or 50 feet away.” If you catch that breeze in an airport, you’re going to feel it.
Airports are hard to heat
“Heating is extremely difficult,” Warren says. “It’s really hard to deliver warm air down low.” He says cold air “loves to go and travel” (remember the basketball arena), but warm air just wants to stop. “It’s lazy. It’s like, ‘Oh, I’m so nice and warm,'” Warren says. “I don’t want to go that far.”
Facilities managers have to account for this by adjusting the air velocity, and sometimes it’s just plain difficult. “You want to throw that warm air a long ways,” he says, especially in larger areas of the airport. “Good luck.”
Energy efficiency takes precedence
Sea-Tac Airport has the largest centralized heating and cooling plant in the Northwest, and the airport’s electricity bills can be $1 million a month. “We do everything that we can to save as much energy as possible,” Warren says.
Airports are transitory spaces
Unless your flight has a massive delay, airports are what Warren and other experts call “transitory spaces.” Passengers are expected to be there for a relatively short amount of time—even if those security lines are long—so comfort can take a back seat to other concerns.
“One of the things that we consider when we do design work, and we design our systems for, is that in the fall, winter and spring, people are bringing their coats with them because they are traveling,” Warren says. “So yeah, it might be a little bit cold, but you should be able to layer up and put your clothes on.”
He knows that’s not the answer that people want to hear, but remember that million-dollar energy bill! “If we observe our customers, and they’re all traveling with coats, you bet we’re going to try to reduce our temperature a little bit to save money on energy bills.”
What are some tips for warming up in a cold airport?
Henderson, from The Points Guy, logs 150,000 miles a year—so he knows all about chilly airports. Luckily, you don’t have to feel like you’re waiting for your flight in a freezer. Here are some of his best tips to warm up while you wait to fly:
- Wear layers: Always have layers! Even if you are traveling somewhere hot, you should bring a sweater and a large scarf. This is important on planes too, where it can get cold quite easily.
- Avoid vents and fans: Pick a spot where there is no blowing air from vents and fans.
- Stay away from doorways and jet bridges: These areas and entryways are often kept colder.
- Look for seats near restaurants or at a crowded gate: These are spots where the air is usually warmer.
- Pick a seat on carpet: Areas with tile and other hard surfaces tend to be cooler than carpeted areas.
Additional reporting by Ally Childress.
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Sources:
- Ken Warren, assistant director of aviation facilities and infrastructure at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; phone interview, May 11, 2026
- Clint Henderson, travel expert with The Points Guy; interviewed, April 2026
- ASHRAE: “Dispelling Thermal Comfort Myths, Part 1”
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