Turbulence is one thing that most passengers dread and is certainly on the increase due to climate change and other factors. Cabin Crew and flight attendants are well-rehearsed in safety procedures and often deal with turbulence on an almost daily basis. Often it can be predicted, but sometimes can happen out of the blue, and there are various kinds of turbulence.

Safety is always the priority, so there are strict procedures that flight attendants follow to keep everyone in the cabin safe. When turbulence hits, flight attendants are ready to act as quickly as possible to secure the cabin and avoid injuries. Of course, passengers can always do their bit to protect their own safety too. As soon as turbulence hits, the crew start a sequence of events that most passengers would not really notice.

Types Of Turbulence

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Turbulence can be described as an irregular motion of air that results from obstructions to the airflow or vertical currents, and there are three main types. Convective turbulence is vertical currents of air caused by rising warm air and sinking cool air, often near thunderstorms. This often results in a bumpy climb and descent over land areas. Mechanical turbulence is where the airflow is obstructed by things like mountains, buildings, or terrain. This can happen around airports and on windy days at low altitude.

Clear Air Turbulence occurs in clear skies near jet streams due to rapid changes in wind speed and direction. It can occur at high altitude without visible cloud and is often unexpected and hard to detect. There is also wake turbulence, which is also classified as mechanical turbulence and is caused by wing-tip vortices from other aircraft.

This can happen when a smaller aircraft is traveling behind a large aircraft, for example, when a private jet is behind an Airbus A380. This is usually managed by air traffic control, and aircraft are separated at a distance, so this should not happen. There is also a mountain wave, in which wind over mountains oscillates, producing smooth updrafts followed by sharp downdrafts.

These can be classified into categories of light, moderate, severe, and extreme, which depend on the effects of turbulence on the aircraft. Turbulence can affect an aircraft of any size, but it differs depending on intensity and the weight of the aircraft: the larger the aircraft, the less likely it is to be affected. Turbulence is invisible and can happen unexpectedly, and anything that is not secured down, including passengers, crew, and objects, can move suddenly and cause injury.

Keeping The Cabin Secure

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Before every flight, there is a pre-flight briefing where safety and service are discussed and tested. The flight crew will also advise on weather conditions en route and if turbulence is to be expected, although it can happen unexpectedly. Airline operations departments will keep the flight crew updated on conditions and help them navigate around areas of turbulence. The flight crew takes cues from weather charts, radar returns, and reports from other aircraft.

Aircraft are specifically designed to withstand turbulence, and pilots and flight attendants fly through it all the time. Turbulence often happens when the aircraft is climbing and descending, but at this time, the cabin is fully secure, and passengers and crew have their seatbelts on, and the seatbelt sign is kept on. If there is turbulence during the flight, the flight crew will switch on the seatbelt sign and, if there is time, call the crew to inform them if it’s safe to continue service in the cabin.

As soon as the seatbelt sign comes on, the crew will immediately start the cabin secure check. It is an instantaneous measure. This means that they will check that all passengers are seated with seatbelts on and that all loose items are stowed in their designated area. Once this check is reported to the senior crew member and then the flight crew, the flight attendants take their jumpseats and strap in.

They must then wait until the seatbelt sign is switched off or the flight crew calls to say it is safe to move around the aircraft. The seatbelt sign may be left on to keep the passengers secure, but the crew may be released to return to service. Procedures for turbulence are listed in the Cabin Safety Compendium offered by Flight Safety.

During Service

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If turbulence occurs during the main service with carts in use in the cabin, depending on the severity, the crew may be advised to be seated. In this case, all carts are returned to the galley, and the galley is secured by other crew members whilst others do the cabin-secure check. The aim is to secure the cabin and galley as quickly as possible before taking the jumpseat.

Galley securing means that all loose items are stowed, hot liquids are poured away, and all carts and atlas boxes are locked into place. Lavatories are also locked at this point. Communication and teamwork are crucial on board an aircraft during normal and abnormal operations, and the flight attendants are the flight crew’s eyes and ears in the cabin.

If turbulence occurs unexpectedly, they need not wait for the seat belt sign but take immediate action. If the seatbelt sign is switched on but no announcement is made from the flight deck, the senior crew member or the flight attendant responsible for making announcements can instruct the passengers to remain seated with seatbelts fastened due to turbulence.

If turbulence is mild and occurs during service, flight attendants know how to stabilize themselves between carts and seats. At this time, hot drinks would be stopped, and tea and coffee pots would be returned to the galley immediately. If the seatbelt sign is on and the severity increases, the flight crew will make an announcement to say that the crew needs to be seated. So, the crew will return the equipment to the galley first and then start the cabin secure checks.

Severe Turbulence

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In case of sudden clear-air turbulence or severe undetected turbulence, the priority is for the crew to secure themselves. This could be in a jumpseat, an empty passenger seat, or even on the floor, holding an armrest or seat leg if necessary. In this case, the crew need to protect themselves first and not be compliant by starting the cabin-secure checks in potentially dangerous conditions. The cart can be braced between the seats to some extent, but may topple over.

Crew members can shout commands for passengers to fasten their seatbelts if no announcement is made. The flight crew may keep the seatbelt sign on for the passengers and release the crew for service if it is safe to move around the aircraft. This is a precautionary measure. Passengers should remain seated with their seatbelts fastened securely during this time. If the turbulence is sudden and severe, the flight attendants report the condition of the cabin to the flight deck.

This may include things like cabin panels falling down, luggage moving, and items being dislodged from their correct stowage. They will also report on any injuries to passengers and crew and perform first aid. Southwest Airlines decided this year to end cabin service at 18,000 feet instead of 10,000 feet. This ensures that passengers and crew are seated with seatbelts on, ready for landing.

By doing this, the carrier cut turbulence-related injuries by 20%. Delta Air Linesrecently withdrew service on short routes under 349 miles to ensure that the cabin was secure before potential turbulence. Korean Air also changed its service to end 40 minutes before landing, so all items are stowed before any turbulence. The airline also stopped serving hot noodles in economy class to avoid hot water injuries when flights were turbulent.

Facts & Figures

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There’s a sobering reason all of this is drilled so hard into flight attendants, as they are the ones most likely to get hurt. Whilst protecting passenger safety, they are at risk of getting injured. Each year, over 100 people are injured in turbulence, with over half of them being flight attendants, because they are securing the cabin once the seatbelt sign is switched on. Common injuries include those to the neck, head, shoulder, and ankle.

Around two billion passengers fly every year, according to data from the NTSB and the FAA, which shows that between 2009 and 2023 in the US alone, there were 206 serious injuries and one fatality caused by turbulence. Of those injured, 40 were passengers, and 166 were crew members. According to ICAO, of the severe injuries caused to passengers flying throughout 2023, almost 40% were caused by turbulence.

Airbus reported that between 2014 and 2018, there were 240 cases of severe turbulence. Of these, injuries were reported to passengers and crew: 30% were on long-haul flights and 12% on short-haul flights. Turbli, a turbulence tracking website, lists the most turbulent airports and routes around the world, and passengers can check if their flight may be turbulent. According to the BBC, there are over 5,000 turbulence incidents a year across a total of 35 million flights globally.

Advice For Passengers

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Passengers should not be concerned about turbulence as aircraft are built to withstand it and the crew are trained on how to deal with it. However, there are more incidents of severe or clear-air turbulence than previously due to climate change, and with social media, these are becoming more publicized and more widely reported.

If turbulence occurs during a flight, the seatbelt sign will be the first indicator. The flight attendants will automatically perform a cabin secure check to make sure the cabin is as safe as possible. If the turbulence is light, the crew may continue service but be braced in case it worsens. If the turbulence is moderate to severe, service will stop to prevent injury. Some turbulence is completely unpredictable, and flight attendants will take whatever measures are needed to stay safe.

Passengers can help themselves by keeping their seatbelts firmly on during the flight and following the seatbelt sign at all times when seated. Seatbelts are there for a reason, and if kept in use whilst seated, will protect passengers from being injured during sudden severe turbulence. It is always important to follow the crew’s instructions at all times, as they are there primarily for passenger safety.