Sorry To Tell You But Flights Are Getting WAYYYYY Bumpier

Be sure to fasten your seatbelts…your next flight could be a bumpy one!

Air Travel

A lot has changed with air travel over the past year — including some positive developments, such as security adjustments that benefit families and the relaxation of the shoes-off rule when going through security screenings. However, according to a report, more problems might arise once you’re up in the air.

Per BBC News, severe airplane turbulence is about to get MUCH worse in the coming years.

Airplane

Turbulence is caused by clouds, thunderstorms, air flow around mountainous areas, and changes in wind speed and direction. For the most part, it only creates a bumpy experience.

©Delta

While turbulence is typically an air travel occurrence that has no significant repercussions, it can be fairly dangerous, as was the case with a May 2024 incident where an international flight experienced severe turbulence that caused one death due to a heart attack and several other severe injuries. Unfortunately, more incidents like this could be increasingly possible.

Spirit Airlines Safety Documents

According to the report, there are 5,000 incidents of severe or greater turbulence each year, and that number is likely to increase due to shifting atmospheric conditions. Warmer temperature changes and shifting wind patterns are negatively affecting the upper atmosphere, and the result is more intense turbulence.

©Delta

We don’t want to scare you with these numbers, as the data is pulled from over 35 MILLION flights, leading to a low probability of intense turbulence. Still, scientists suggest these incidents will only increase, and you should be warned.

Death caused by turbulence is very, very rare, but injuries have been stacking up over the past decade-plus. Per the National Transportation Safety Board, domestic flights have seen 207 severe injuries (individuals needing to be hospitalized for over 48 hours) since 2009 — albeit 166 were seated and unseated crew members. We can’t stress enough the importance of fastening your seatbelt.

Air travel

Additionally, BBC reported that “of the severe injuries caused to passengers flying throughout 2023, almost 40% were caused by turbulence, according to the annual safety report by the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

In the report, University of Reading professor Paul Williams said, “We can expect a doubling or tripling in the amount of severe turbulence around the world in the next few decades. For every 10 minutes of severe turbulence experienced now, that could increase to 20 or 30 minutes.”

©United Airlines

It was also discovered that routes between the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Canada and the Caribbean, have been especially affected by the atmospheric change, with a 55% increase in dangerous turbulence plaguing the North Atlantic over the past 40 years. Areas such as North Africa, the North Pacific, the Middle East, East Asia, and — yes — North America are all projected to see a higher frequency of turbulence in the future.

Frontier Airlines

As scientists learn more and more about climate change, they are beginning to warn travelers that the warming air will inevitably create a bumpier, more dangerous flying experience. Still, you SHOULDN’T be afraid to fly. Airplane wings are designed to fly through turbulent air, and future airplane design and pilot/crew instruction will likely take into account increased severe turbulence risk, creating new ways to navigate a changing atmosphere.

Airplane cabin

For example, Southwest Airlines has decided to end cabin service earlier at 18,000 feet instead of the previous 10,000, which forces the crew and passengers to be seated safely. The airline suggests this change will reduce turbulence-related injuries by 20%.

Other companies have looked into turbulence-cancelling technology. All in all, this is a problem the air travel industry is fully aware of and plans on tackling in the coming years.

We’ll continue to monitor all the latest air travel updates, so stay tuned right here at DFB to stay in the know!

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Does this new turbulence trend scare you away from air travel? Do you anticipate the airline industry to figure out a solution to keep flying safe? Share your thoughts in the comments below!