The Dangers of In-Flight Turbulence: A Look at Recent Cases and How Airlines are Taking Action to Ensure Passenger Safety
Recently, there has been a growing concern about severe in-flight turbulence, as several incidents involving airline passengers needing medical attention have made headlines. Among the airlines that have experienced sudden drops in altitude on recent flights are Singapore Airlines Ltd., Qatar Airways, and Air Europa. For instance, in late May, Singapore Air Flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence as it entered Thai airspace, forcing an emergency landing in Bangkok while en route from London to Singapore.
According to reports, the frequency of turbulence during flights is on the rise, with some instances resulting in death or serious injury. One such instance occurred recently when forty passengers were injured when an Air Europa flight traveling from Madrid to Montevideo in Uruguay encountered severe turbulence. The continent’s most turbulent flights are said to connect Santiago in Chile to Santa Cruz in Bolivia, with flights departing from Tokyo ranking high on the list of rough long-haul services.
Turbli, a website that analyzes data from UK and US government meteorological agencies, determines that strong turbulence occurs when air streams of varying speeds converge, often at jet stream boundaries, over mountainous terrain, and within certain types of cloud formations. The Santiago-Santa Cruz route experiences turbulence due to winds traveling from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean nearly perpendicular to the Andes. Additionally, the equator is known for being a region prone to turbulence. It is essential for airlines to take necessary measures to ensure passenger safety during such incidents and minimize any potential harm caused by severe in-flight turbulence.
