Climate crisis leading to more turbulence during flights, says study

The climate crisis is leading to more turbulence during flights, driving up costs and increasing the risks for passengers and crew, according to new research. The study found that warmer air, caused by carbon emissions, is creating bumpier flights around the world with severe turbulence in the North Atlantic up by 55% since 1979. The study’s co-author Mark Prosser, from the University of Reading, said every additional minute spent travelling through turbulence increased the wear and tear on an aircraft, as well as the risk of injuries to passengers and flight attendants. “Turbulence makes flights bumpy and can occasionally be dangerous. Airlines will need to start thinking about how they will manage the increased turbulence, as it costs the industry $150-500m annually in the USA alone.” Previous studies have suggested that a climate that is heating up could increase turbulence but Prof Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading and co-author of the research, said it was the first evidence it was already happening. “We should be investing in improved turbulence forecasting and detection systems, to prevent the rougher air from translating into bumpier flights in the coming decades,” he said. The rapidly changing climate is already known to be affecting air travel. A faster jet stream across the Atlantic is increasing travel times and rising temperatures are reducing the weight aircraft can carry. At the same time carbon emissions from aviation are a significant driver of the climate crisis.<br/>