Focus on world’s most turbulent flights

The deadly turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight has shone a spotlight on the world’s most unstable air routes


WHAT IS TURBULENCE?
Aircraft hit by sudden, violent shift in airflow

Clear-air turbulence
Occurs around jet stream, where high-speed winds meet surrounding air

Thunderstorms
Bigger clouds can create severe turbulence up to 30km away – pilots make efforts to fly around them

Mountain waves: Air flowing over mountain ranges creates turbulence at lower levels


Turbulence

Aircraft can shake or change altitude suddenly

Fast wind

Slow wind


FLIGHTS WITH HIGHEST AVERAGE TURBULENCE IN 2023*

World’s most turbulent routes

Santiago – Santa Cruz, Bolivia 	17.57
Almaty – Bishkek		17.46
Lanzhou – Chengdu		16.75  
Centrair – Sendai		16.58
Milan – Geneva			16.40

Most turbulent long-haul routes

Tokyo – Kathmandu 		15.53 
Tokyo – New Delhi 		14.84
Tokyo – Dhaka 			14.80 
Seoul – New Delhi 		14.70 
Tokyo – Mumbai			14.63


*Turbulence strength given in units of eddy dissipation rate (EDR)


Sources: Bloomberg, CBC News, The Conversation, Turbli
© GRAPHIC NEWS