According to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Reading in the UK, travelling by planes today has become more turbulent due to climate change compared to decades ago.
The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, revealed that clear-air turbulence, which poses a hidden danger to aircraft, has intensified in various regions worldwide.
In one of the world’s busiest flight routes, the North Atlantic, the study found that severe turbulence experienced at a typical point has increased by 55% from 17.7 hours in 1979 to 27.4 hours in 2020.
Additionally, moderate turbulence has risen by 37% from 70.0 to 96.1 hours, and light turbulence has increased by 17% from 466.5 to 546.8 hours, as stated by the researchers.
The research team attributed these increases to the impact of climate change.
The emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have led to warmer air, resulting in amplified windshear within the jet streams and the strengthening of clear-air turbulence across the North Atlantic and globally.
Mark Prosser, a PhD researcher at the University of Reading, emphasized the implications of these findings on the aviation industry.
He mentioned that turbulence not only causes discomfort during flights but can also pose occasional risks. Prosser added that airlines will need to consider how to manage the heightened turbulence, as it currently costs the industry an estimated USD 150–500 million annually in the United States alone.
Prosser further explained that every additional minute spent encountering turbulence increases the wear-and-tear on aircraft and escalates the risk of injuries to passengers and flight attendants.
While the United States and the North Atlantic region have witnessed the most substantial increases in turbulence, the study also revealed significant turbulence enhancements on other busy flight routes over Europe, the Middle East, and the South Atlantic.
Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading and co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of investing in improved turbulence forecasting and detection systems.
This investment aims to prevent the translation of rougher air into bumpier flights in the future, considering the previous decade of research indicating that climate change will further intensify clear-air turbulence.