More than six months after severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London Heathrow left one passenger dead and dozens of other customers and crew members seriously injured, the carrier has joined an innovative data-sharing program designed to reduce the risk of a repeat incident.
The program has existed since 2018, but the events that unfolded on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 on May 21 have led to a slew of new airlines deciding to join the so-called ‘Turbulence Aware’ platform.
Designed and managed by the industry trade body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the platform records live anonymized turbulence data from participating member airlines and then sends this information to pilots and airline control rooms in real-time.
For years, pilots have relied on sophisticated weather maps, radar, and live reports from other planes flying ahead of them to manage the risk of turbulence, but these methods have proven only to be partially effective – especially considering the risk of clear air turbulence that might not show up on a weather map or radar.
“Making use of accurate and up to date data in Turbulence Aware helps flight crews’ efforts to avoid or at least mitigate the effects of turbulence,” explained IATA director general Willie Walsh on Tuesday.
“The quality of this data improves with each new airline contributing to the platform. So the strong take up of Turbulence Aware by airlines is important.”
In 2024, six more airlines have decided to make the investment in Turbulence Aware – no doubt spurred on by several serious turbulence incidents in the last 12 months, including the Singapore Airlines accident.
Most recently, Britsh Airways, Asiana, and Singapore’s low-cost subsidiary Scoot also signed up for Turbulence Aware.
Long-time supporters of the platform include Qatar Airways and Lufthansa, as well as major US airlines like Delta, Southwest, and United Airlines. As of December 2024, there are 25 airlines sharing turbulence data through 2,600 equipped aircraft.
Airlines can choose to receive Turbulence Aware reports as an independent product or have it integrated into existing flight planning systems. Earlier this year, for example, Emirates built the product into a mobile navigation solution from Lufthansa Systems called Lido mPilot.
In May, Emirates had equipped just over half of its aircraft with the required software to automatically share turbulence data with IATA’s platform. The latest Airbus A350 aircraft to join the Emirates fleet had the software pre-installed before it was delivered to the airline.
Since its inception, Emirates claims that Turbulence Aware has ensured a safer flight for as many as 700 million passengers – a number that is expected to rapidly increase as more airlines join the program.
Turbulence remains a leading cause of passenger and crew injuries and is increasingly becoming a key challenge for airlines to manage. Earlier this year, Emirates’ president, Sir Tim Clark, admitted that the industry had to do more to protect passengers and crew.
In response to the SQ321 incident, Singapore Airlines has adjusted its turbulence procedures to ensure that flight attendants strap themselves into their jumpseats whenever the seatbelt signs are switched on.
Until May’s fatal accident, the airline allowed flight attendants to continue serving meals and drinks, with the exception of hot drinks, in light and moderate turbulence.
Other airlines are also amending onboard service protocols, including preparing the cabin for arrival earlier than in the past. This is based on data that shows that the majority of turbulence injuries affect cabin crew members who are still working in the galleys and aisles during descent.
Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines said flight attendants must secure the cabin for landing and strap themselves into their jumpseats at 18,000 feet – significantly higher than the previous altitude of 10,000 feet.
The airline hopes the measure will reduce overall flight attendant injuries by as much as 20%.
