Understanding In-Flight Turbulence: Causes and Dangers for Passengers and Crews

In-flight turbulence can pose risks to passengers and crews, particularly clear-air turbulence. While injuries are increasing, fatalities remain rare. Staying informed about turbulence can enhance travel safety.

A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam encountered severe turbulence on Wednesday, leading to 25 passengers being hospitalised and a diversion to Minnesota. This incident underscores the risks associated with flying through unstable air. While fatalities due to turbulence are rare, injuries have been increasing over the years. Experts suggest that climate change might be affecting flying conditions, contributing to more frequent turbulence reports.

Planes often experience minor turbulence, but airlines are working to enhance safety measures. Travellers are advised to remain cautious and keep their seat belts fastened whenever possible. Turbulence is essentially unstable air moving unpredictably. While many associate it with storms, clear-air turbulence is more dangerous as it occurs without visible warning signs.

Recent Turbulence Incidents

In June, an American Airlines flight from Miami to Raleigh-Durham International Airport hit turbulence, resulting in five people being evaluated at a North Carolina hospital. The plane landed safely. Earlier that month, a Ryanair flight from Berlin to Milan made an emergency landing in Germany due to severe storms, injuring nine people.

In March, a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore experienced severe turbulence over the Philippines. Five people were injured among the 174 passengers and 14 crew members on board. The plane landed safely in Singapore. Several flights were diverted to Waco, Texas, on March 3 due to turbulence, with five injuries reported on a United Express flight from Springfield, Missouri, to Houston.

Understanding Turbulence Causes

Clear-air turbulence often occurs near high-altitude jet streams due to wind shear. This happens when two large air masses move at different speeds. If the speed difference is significant, the atmosphere can't handle the strain and breaks into turbulent patterns like water eddies.

Pilots try to avoid turbulence using weather radar displays and by visually identifying thunderstorms. However, clear-air turbulence is harder to predict. Doug Moss, a former airline pilot and safety consultant, explains that it can catch people off-guard as conditions may appear calm before an incident.

Climate Change's Role in Turbulence

Some scientists believe climate change is increasing turbulence encounters. Professor Thomas Guinn from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University suggests that climate change could alter jet streams and increase wind shear, leading to more turbulence. Paul Williams from the University of Reading notes strong evidence linking climate change to rising turbulence levels.

Williams' research indicates that severe clear-air turbulence in the North Atlantic has risen by 55% since 1979. Projections suggest that if global conditions persist, severe turbulence in jet streams could double or triple in coming decades.

Safety Measures for Travellers

To stay safe during flights, experts recommend keeping seat belts fastened as a primary precaution against unpredictable turbulence. Airlines are also implementing safety measures. Last November, Southwest Airlines began ending cabin service earlier so passengers could return to their seats and fasten seat belts sooner.

Korean Air stopped offering Shin Ramyun noodles last year as part of proactive safety measures against increased turbulence aimed at preventing burn accidents. These steps reflect efforts by airlines to reduce in-flight injuries related to turbulence.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported that most in-flight turbulence incidents from 2009 through 2018 resulted in serious injuries without plane damage. Between 2009 and 2024, 207 people required hospital treatment for at least two days due to serious injuries during turbulence.

Flight attendants are more likely to be injured as they are often out of their seats during flights. Larry Cornman from the National Science Foundation's National Center for Atmospheric Research notes that increased air traffic could lead to more encounters with turbulence as flight paths multiply.

With inputs from PTI