Airplanes rarely cancel for lightning alone, as modern commercial aircraft are designed to act as "Faraday cages." When lightning strikes a plane, the electricity typically travels along the outer aluminum or composite skin of the fuselage and exits through the tail or wingtips, leaving the interior and the sensitive electronic systems unharmed. Pilots and passengers might see a bright flash and hear a loud bang, but the aircraft continues to fly safely. However, lightning is a symptom of severe thunderstorms, and it is the weather associated with the lightning that causes cancellations. Airlines and Air Traffic Control will delay or cancel flights if there is a risk of severe turbulence, hail, or "microbursts" (sudden, violent downdrafts) that occur within the same storm cells as lightning. Furthermore, ground operations at the airport must stop if lightning is detected within a specific radius (usually 5 to 8 miles) to protect the ground crew, who are at risk while handling metal equipment or fueling the aircraft. So, while the strike itself isn't a threat to the plane in flight, the presence of lightning often triggers safety protocols that lead to delays and cancellations on the ground.