The recent storm Therese brought unstable weather to Canarias, leading to the viral spread of videos showing airplanes making dramatic landings. To clarify doubts about safety under these circumstances, Guillermo Hernández, an Air Europa pilot, participated in the 'Herrera en COPE Canarias' program, where he discussed air safety procedures and measures.

Regarding images of aircraft seemingly landing sideways, Hernández clarified that this is a standard maneuver known as "crab landing." This technique involves pointing the aircraft's nose into the wind and correcting the trajectory just before touchdown for a straight landing. The pilot emphasized that "it is completely normal, it is the technique used every day."

While wind and rain might cause passenger concern, Hernández highlighted that the most dangerous phenomenon during takeoffs and landings is wind shear—a sudden change in wind direction or intensity. Modern aircraft are equipped to detect this, and if the system issues an alert, protocol requires aborting takeoff or discontinuing the approach to avoid risks. Additionally, the presence of water, snow, or ice on the runway makes it "contaminated," reducing braking capacity and necessitating extra performance calculations to ensure safe operation.

Concerning thunderstorms, Hernández offered reassurance, encouraging travelers to enjoy lightning as a "beautiful spectacle." Safety from lightning strikes is guaranteed, as aircraft function like a "Faraday cage," allowing electrical discharge to enter at one point and exit at another without affecting the structure. Even the latest models, such as the Boeing 787, incorporate conductive fibers to maintain this protection. According to the pilot, each aircraft receives, on average, at least one lightning strike per year. As an anecdote, Hernández shared that on a recent flight to Milan, his aircraft was struck by lightning four times during a single approach, but after inspection, it was cleared to fly back to Madrid without incident.