Killer turbulence sees more airlines embrace data-driven mindset

Airlines are expressing a greater interest in IATA’s turbulence awareness program, a data collection system that helps pilots navigate tricky weather in real time, after last month’s Singapore Airlines Ltd. incident that left one dead and scores injured. Turbulence Aware was launched by IATA in 2018 to help airlines mitigate the impact of turbulence, the No. 1 cause of passenger and crew injuries in the air. The program currently has 21 airlines feeding data into the system and IATA has a goal of collecting turbulence reports from 150m flights by the end of 2024, Nick Careen, who leads the airline body’s work on safety, security and operations, said. “There are conversations with quite a few airlines. There’s been an increased interest,” Careen said. “More information and more data will definitely improve the situation.” Flight SQ321 was en route from London to Singapore on May 21 when it encountered severe turbulence as it entered Thai airspace. The giant Boeing Co. 777 jet made an emergency landing in Bangkok. One passenger died and many were hospitalized with serious head, neck and spinal injuries. As of Monday, 21 passengers who were on board are still receiving medical treatment at clinics in Bangkok, Singapore Air said in an update. Days later, a Qatar Airways flight struck severe turbulence over Turkey, injuring 12 people on board.<br/>