Air turbulence and the traveller 

Air turbulence refers to pockets of air in the atmosphere that can cause an aircraft to shake or wobble. Factors responsible for such occurrence are: thunderstorms, wind shear, mountain waves, jet streams, and clear air turbulence ( CAT). While air turbulence can dampen the passenger experience, putting its occurrence into a proper picture for the travelling public through numerous communication channels, taking proper care of the affected passengers and making alternative route plans by the airline as seen by the latest Singapore Airline incident are some actions that can help in managing the fallouts of air turbulence.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the global trade association for airlines, states that turbulence costs airlines millions of dollars every year. It is the leading cause of non-fatal injury and damage to cabin crew and passengers, creates fear and uncertainty for many travellers, and negatively impacts the brand reputation of airlines. It further states that academic research shows that the rate of turbulence will increase by 149 percent in the upcoming years. The good news is that IATA states that it is dedicated to improving air travel for all key stakeholders while also providing clear, accurate, and thorough data with the aim of helping industry leaders maximise efficiency and safety within their operations.

After a recent turbulence incident resulted in one person dying and left dozens more hospitalised, Singapore Airlines has tweaked its in-flight seat belt sign policies while also altering at least one flight rule. In carrying out a more cautious approach to turbulence, it will not serve hot drinks or meals when the seat belt sign is on. A few years ago, an Air Canada plane flying between Shanghai and Toronto, was forced to make an emergency landing after it hit some terrifying air turbulence over Alaska. It was reported that twenty-one passengers were taken to hospital. In incidences of turbulence, the humanity in us is called up as a good number aboard would start to make their peace with God. This is not peculiar to Africans who may be seen as being more religious. It is the humanity in us coming to the fore at such moments.

A search on air turbulence showed expert opinion on three types of naturally occurring air turbulence that affect planes flying at altitude. Convective turbulence, caused by localised thunderstorms, is said to be relatively easy for planes to avoid because the weather is visible. Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT), said to be the most common, is said to be caused by wind shear. This is streams of air travelling at different speeds or in different directions. Its effect is to jostle planes from side to side as well as up and down, Mountain wave turbulence, said to be similar to wind shear, occurs downstream from a mountain range. The terrain can sometimes cause the wind to oscillate, the effect would mostly be up-down movement of the plane.

There is the belief that global warming is making issues of air turbulence worse. With the planet getting warmer it has the potential effect of making jet streams become more intense such that there is an increased likelihood of CAT. The good news here is that with greater computing power, meteorologists have become better at predicting the likely location of bad turbulence such that relatively fewer passengers now experience it.

Another comforting news for the passenger is that air turbulence need not be a source of apprehension. Aircraft are well-engineered and robust pieces of machinery. While going through the bumpiest conditions, wings do not shear off and fuselages do not get flipped upside down. The sudden, sickening drops, which make the passenger feel they have plunged several hundred metres, experts say, are mere pebbles in the road. The most severe turbulence usually is said to buffet planes by no more than something around thirty metres. Pilots are said to avoid such weather pockets mainly because it upsets passengers.

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