That obviously is not great news. Few people will say, “Gee, it would have been better if that ride had been bumpier,” assuming that they are talking about an airplane flight and not something else. The authors cited a 2003 estimate that turbulence was costing the aviation industry around $200 million each year back then. That number has probably increased substantially since then because of, you know, that whole inflation thing.
There’s also the effects that turbulence can have on airplane passengers and crew members. This can range from minor problems such as temporary headaches, nausea, and toupées flying off to more severe injuries that require medical care and even hospitalization.shows that 34 passengers and 116 crew members suffered serious injuries due to turbulence from 2009 through 2022.
Of course, the best way to avoid problems with turbulence is to avoid turbulence in the first place. Improved flight and weather monitoring and detection technology may be able to help pilots navigate away from areas of turbulence. But it’s not as if an airplane can just go anywhere it wants like Kanye West on a stage. With other aircraft in the sky, there’s only so much an airplane can change it’s flight patterns.
What can you do to prevent problems from turbulence, assuming that you aren’t flying the plane yourself? Keeping your seatbelt fastened at all times when you are in your seat can certainly help. Listening to announcement from pilots and flight attendants can help too. When they do announce upcoming turbulence, it’s probably not a great idea to plan for a 30-minute bathroom break. Aside from having ridiculous faucets, airplane bathrooms don’t tend to have toilet seats with seatbelts.
Yep, we are clearly in more turbulent times these days. And with political and business leaders not doing nearly enough to address pollution and how it may be contributing to climate change, expect the ride to get rougher.