In the past three months, two commercial flights have made emergency landings because of severe turbulence. The first, which took place in May on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore, resulted in one death and several injuries. The second, an Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo in July, left over 30 people injured.
Such severe turbulence is generally rare; however, instances appear to be on the rise. Last year, UK researchers found that for any average point over the Atlantic, severe “clear-air turbulence” (meaning no clouds are in sight) increased by 55 per cent between 1979 and 2020. Severe turbulence may be getting worse, but that doesn’t mean our anxiety needs to.
Credit: Adobe Stock Thanks to climate change, this is expected to worsen. A 2017 study predicted severe turbulence will become two to three times more common over the North Atlantic by 2050 to 2080. Meanwhile, it could increase by about 50 per cent over Australia.
The reporting of these incidents can be graphic, such as passengers being “thrown around” the cabin, causing broken arms and cranial fractures. Are reports of severe turbulence, and its increasing frequency, intensifying some people’s fear of flying, aka aviophobia? And if it is, how can they tackle it on their next flight? How do I know if I have aviophobia? Principal clinical psychologist at the Sydney Phobia Clinic Dr Corrie Ackland says about 40 per cent of people living in industrialised countries experience som.