Killer turbulence prompts airlines to turn to big data program

Airlines are expressing a greater interest in IATA’s turbulence awareness program, a data collection system that helps pilots navigate tricky weather in real time, after last month’s Singapore Airlines Ltd. incident that left one dead and scores injured.

Turbulence Aware was launched by IATA in 2018 to help airlines mitigate the impact of turbulence, the No. 1 cause of passenger and crew injuries in the air. The program currently has 21 airlines feeding data into the system and IATA has a goal of collecting turbulence reports from 150 million flights by the end of 2024, Nick Careen, who leads the airline body’s work on safety, security and operations, said.

“There are conversations with quite a few airlines. There’s been an increased interest,” Careen said. “More information and more data will definitely improve the situation.”

Flight SQ321 was en route from London to Singapore on May 21 when it encountered severe turbulence as it entered Thai airspace. The giant Boeing Co. 777 jet made an emergency landing in Bangkok. One passenger died and many were hospitalized with serious head, neck and spinal injuries. As of Monday, 21 passengers who were on board are still receiving medical treatment at clinics in Bangkok, Singapore Air said in an update.

Days later, a Qatar Airways flight struck severe turbulence over Turkey, injuring 12 people on board.

Singapore Air has since introduced tighter cabin restrictions during turbulence, although stopped short of compelling passengers to wear seatbelts for the whole flight. Now, in-flight meal services will be halted when the seatbelt sign is switched on, in addition to the suspension of hot drinks. Crew members will also return to their seats and strap themselves in.

Seatbelts Save Lives

Asked whether the recent events have discouraged people from flying, Careen said he didn’t think so. “That speaks volumes to the fact that most people believe and know that this industry is safe.”

But he added that as “seatbelts save lives in cars, why would airlines be any different?”

Turbulence, and whether it’s becoming more severe or more frequent as the climate changes, was also a broader topic of debate at IATA’s annual meeting in Dubai this week.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said he doesn’t think there’s a growing turbulence problem, rather that there are more flights — an expected 39 million this year versus around 20 million a year back in 2000 and 2001. “I was a pilot for 20 years, it’s not as if turbulence has just developed,” he said.

Even so, with all the alarming headlines and social media posts, airlines are naturally reviewing procedures and paying more attention to the issue.

Korean Air Lines Co. is ensuring crew have more time to prepare for landing so they can “be in their seats at the most critical times,” Chief Executive Officer Cho Won-Tae said.

Common Sense

Emirates President Tim Clark said “there has been a greater watch on all of this” and the “industry will start being more concerned that people are in their seats and are strapped in.”

IndiGo meanwhile is trialling some new software to help manage turbulence. “Passengers are reminded of the critical importance of keeping their seatbelts fastened throughout the flight, especially during turbulence,” the Indian carrier said.

Ultimately though, the best advice is also common sense.

“I can only tell you as someone who has flown many years, also as a pilot, you always keep your seatbelt on,” Deutsche Lufthansa AG Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr said. “Go look at the cockpit anytime in the flight, the pilots have their seatbelts on. I recommend the same for all of us.”