Turbulence is the worst part of flying for many people. We answer the key questions. Read more: What is turbulence and can it cause your plane to crash? While most flyers will have encountered some mild turbulence before, severe turbulence is far more rare. Some figures put the number of flights affected by severe turbulence as one departure in every 50, Conditions caused by global warming mean that we may see slightly more turbulence in the future.
According to data taken over the last 15 years by the Federal Aviation Administration, the total number of serious passenger injuries related to turbulence in the US is Ideally, book a seat near the wingspan in the centre of the plane for the smoothest flying experience.
In addition, the front of the plane experiences less noticeable effects of turbulence than the seats in the back, as they are more affected by wind hitting the tail of the aircraft. Data from turbulence prediction website Turbli , which has analysed around 10, routes connecting the largest airports, shows the most turbulent journeys of The For South America it was, of course, the Mendoza-Santiago flight, which also came out on top in a list of short-range flights of miles or less.
For long-range routes over miles with the highest average turbulence, the top flight was Nairobi in Kenya to Sepang in Malaysia. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in. Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Not now Yes please. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy. Where are the best and worst places to sit for turbulence? What are the most turbulent flight routes around the world?
