A Delta Air Lines flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam had to make an emergency landing in Minnesota. After severe turbulence that injured 25 passengers on the plane, this occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
What is the cause of turbulence?
Turbulence results from rapidly shifting or unstable air. This causes a sudden movement of the aircraft. Clear-air turbulence is the most dangerous type because it is unpredictable and invisible.
The main cause of clear-air turbulence is wind shear. This basically means that two neighbouring air currents, move closely at different speeds. Should this phenomenon impose atmospheric pressure, the air breaks into turbulent patterns.
Recent Flights Affected by Turbulence
The Delta flight is not the only case. There has been multiple incidents report from 2024 right up until 2025:
- In June, an American Airlines flight from Miami hit turbulence before landing Raleigh-Durham. This caused five passengers to be hospitalised in North Carolina.
- Around the same time, a Ryanair flight traveling from Berlin to Milan experienced violent turbulence due to storms over southern Germany. Resulting from this, nine people were injured.
- In March, a United Airlines plane flying from San Francisco to Singapore also experienced major turbulence near the Philippines and five passengers were injured.
- On March 3, several flights had to divert to Waco, Texas, due to rough flying conditions, including a United Express flight where five people were injured.
- In a tragic event in May 2024, a 73-year-old man died, and many people were hurt when a Singapore Airlines flight experienced major turbulence. Authorities suggested a possible heart attack as the cause of death.
Tracking Turbulence Injuries Is Tricky
Even though some countries try to maintain statistics and data regarding turbulence, this data remains limited. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) obtained accounts of 207 serious injuries between 2009 and 2024. Many affected were flight attendants because they move around a lot while flying.
How Pilots Navigate Rough Air
To identify turbulence, pilots utilise a number of different methods. They use weather reports, radar technology, and information shared by other planes to avoid turbulence.
Thunderstorms can be flown around and are often visible. Clear-air turbulence, however, provides little to no warning.
But clear-air turbulence “is altogether another animal,” said Doug Moss, a former pilot and safety advisor. Once another aircraft reports a rough patch, air traffic control can issue warnings to planes nearby.
Is Climate Change Making It Worse?
There are many scientists who are trying research and study how climate change may potentially increasing the frequency of turbulence, as well as the severity of it. According to Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric science expert from the University of Reading, there has been a 55% rise in severe turbulence over the North Atlantic since 1979.
Prof. Paul and other scientists believe that the increase in temperature globally, are changing the jet stream behaviour. This is contributing to factors that are favourable for turbulence affecting flights and passengers.
Additionally, the increase in planes in the sky due to increased air travel increased the chances of turbulence, according to Larry Cornman of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research.
What Passengers Can Do to Stay Safe
The one important instruction that passengers must always wear their seatbelt on a flight. This statement cannot be more emphasized upon as turbulence can occur at any time without warning.
There are certain airlines that are taking proactive measures. For example, Southwest Airlines, now ends in-flight service earlier to ensure passengers are seated and belted in time. Korean Air even removed a popular instant noodle from its menu to prevent hot water-related injuries during sudden turbulence.
It is important to stay alert during flight for any announcement and be sure to follow all safety advice.
This piece has been written based on information from an article in The Independent.