Air turbulence is a risk to aircraft safety.

Air turbulence poses a hazard in the airways.

Experts believe that only a small percentage of flights will lead to harm or destruction, however, there have been many recent occurrences in which this has happened.

Comprehending what leads to turbulence can assist both aircraft crew and passengers minimize its consequences.

Professor Paul Williams, a climate science and meteorology expert from the University of Reading in the UK, stated in a recent announcement, "Sadly, today we have had a rise in turbulence-related fatalities on commercial flights, which are fortunately quite rare."

Here's how turbulence in the air can cause problems for air travelers.

What is turbulence and why does it happen?

There are four primary types of turbulence: light, moderate, severe, and extreme.

In cases of light and moderate turbulence, passengers may feel a pull against their seatbelts, and unsecured items in the cabin may shift around.

However, in more serious instances, turbulence can lead to passengers being tossed about the cabin, resulting in severe injuries or even death.

"Turbulence during flights can be caused by storms, mountains, and strong air currents known as jet streams," explains Williams.

"This type of turbulence is referred to as clear-air turbulence and can be hard to dodge because it doesn't show up on the weather radar in the cockpit."

"Clear air turbulence is air disturbance generated by atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air over mountains, cold or warm weather fronts, or thunderstorms," according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Pilots may be forewarned of turbulence by the FAA, airline meteorology teams, or even other pilots ahead of them. However, turbulence can also strike without warning.

How dangerous is it?

The FAA reports that 30 passengers and 116 flight attendants were seriously injured as a result of turbulence from 2009 to 2021.

With around four billion airline passengers each year, such incidents are still quite infrequent.

The FAA cites turbulence as the leading cause of injuries to flight attendants and passengers in nonfatal accidents on commercial flights.

Although airlines aren't required to report minor injuries, the precise number of injuries is unknown.

Fatalities, such as the Singapore Airlines incident, are also quite uncommon. A private jet flight in March 2023 resulted in the death of a former White House official due to severe turbulence. A United Airlines flight from Tokyo to Honolulu in December 1997 also experienced turbulence that claimed one passenger's life.

"Turbulence can make flights bumpy and occasionally hazardous," says Mark Prosser, a meteorology researcher from the University of Reading. "Airlines will need to begin considering how they will handle the rise in turbulence, as it costs the sector $150-500 million annually in the US alone."

"Every additional minute spent traveling through turbulence increases wear-and-tear on the aircraft, as well as the risk of injuries to passengers and flight attendants."

Is it becoming more harmful?

A study by the University of Reading found that severe turbulence had increased by 55% over the past four decades due to the impact of climate change.

The paper, published in June 2023, noted that at an average point over the North Atlantic, one of the most active flight routes in the world, the total yearly duration of severe turbulence had climbed by 55% between 1979 and 2020.

In 2022, Williams, one of the study's co-authors, told CNN that he expected severe turbulence "to likely double or triple in the coming decades."

Williams attributed this to "clear air turbulence," a kind of turbulence that strikes suddenly and is challenging to evade.

According to statistics from the National Transportation Safety Board, there was no warning from the flight crew in about 28% of turbulence-related accidents from 2009 to 2018.

Williams' predictions suggest that clear-air turbulence will considerably increase across the globe in the coming decades.

"Typically, on a transatlantic flight, you might anticipate 10 minutes of turbulence," he continued. "Sadly, I believe that in a few decades, this will almost likely rise to 20 minutes or even half an hour. The seat belt sign will need to be switched on more frequently for the sake of passengers."

Should I keep my seatbelt fastened the entire flight unless I need to use the restroom?

The answer is yes. A 2021 report by the NTSB revealed that nearly all passengers who were injured in "turbulence-related" accidents were not wearing their seatbelts at the time.

Since it's often impossible to foresee when an aircraft will encounter clear air turbulence, the only way to be completely secure is to keep strapped in throughout the journey.

Does it harm aircraft?

In cases where the airplane is tossed violently and becomes uncontrollable, structural damage can be caused to an aircraft, according to the US National Weather Service.

Recent incidents, including the one affecting the Singapore Airlines flight, have also resulted in significant damage to the airplane's interior.

Are particular routes more prone to turbulence?

Turbulence can occur practically anywhere and at any height, but some places are more susceptible.

The Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore, which appears to have deviated from its typical route over Southeast Asia's Andaman Sea, suggests that it was near where it experienced severe turbulence.

Following the examination of nearly 150,000 various flying paths, turbulence forecaster Turbli established that the trip between Santiago, Chile and Viru Viru International airport in Bolivia marked the smoothest flight, while the route between Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Bishkek's capital claimed second place on the list released last year.

Nashville, Tennessee to Raleigh/Durham in North Carolina was labeled as the North American journey with the most frequent turbulence.

Duarte Mendonca, Sophie Jeong, Jacopo Prisco, and Katia Hetter collaborated on this report.