This study presents a comprehensive, explanatory, and methodologically grounded scientific analysis of the microclimatic dynamics at Lubumbashi International Airport (Luano). It demonstrates that the airport platform should be interpreted as a coupled thermo-operational system, in which mineral surfaces, residual vegetation, seasonality, wind, precipitation, and aeronautical operations interact to generate a structured thermal signal. The analysis integrates hourly meteorological observations, Landsat and MODIS satellite products, ERA5 reanalysis variables, CHIRPS precipitation data, biophysical indicators such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and air traffic data. It further develops an airport–reference thermal contrast, a spatial LTO exposure index, and a framework based on spatial and temporal differencing. The results converge toward four main conclusions: (1) the Luano airport area exhibits a well-defined airport-related thermal signature; (2) the relative decline in vegetation cover and increasing surface artificialization account for a major share of background warming; (3) LTO cycles act as localized and transient thermal amplifiers; and (4) these dynamics have direct implications for air density, take-off performance, low-level turbulence, and overall aviation safety.