Jun 10, 2024
The recent incidents of severe turbulence that struck Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines flights are two examples of how climate change is a possible threat to flights due to hotter temperatures at ground level
As per the US Federal Aviation Administration, 163 passengers and crew on US flights have been seriously injured by turbulence between 2009 and 2022
As many as 12 people were injured after a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin was hit with turbulence while flying over Turkey in May. Six passengers and six crew members were injured, eight of whom were taken to the hospital after assessment
Severe turbulence struck a Singapore Airlines flight recently, resulting in the death of one person and leaving more than 100 others injured, 48 people are still hospitalised
Scientists from the University of Reading in the UK reported that severe turbulence had risen by 55% between 1979 and 2020 on the frequently used north Atlantic route
US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg commented there are indications that turbulence is up by about 15%, an increase he attributed to climate change
Hotter climes can easily cause weight restrictions for flight take-off – which also means limited passengers seating, luggage, cargo, and even fuel
Reports claim that in 2022, 917 million passengers took over 15 million US-based flights—an average of more than 42,000 flights per day
As per the FAA, more than 2.9 million people fly in the US every day