What happens to lift when the air density decreases?

When air density decreases, lift produced by an aircraft typically decreases as well. Lift is directly related to several factors defined in the lift equation:

Lift = (Cl × A × P × V^2) / 2

In this equation, Cl represents the coefficient of lift, A is the wing area, P is the air density, and V is the velocity of the aircraft relative to the air. As air density (P) decreases, assuming all other factors remain constant, the overall lift decreases because there are fewer air molecules available to exert pressure on the wings.

This relationship indicates the significance of air density in producing lift; thus, in conditions such as high altitudes or hot weather, where air density is lower, an aircraft may require higher speeds or different configurations to maintain the same level of lift it would have at standard atmospheric conditions.