The most common type, called clear air turbulence (CAT), is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “sudden severe turbulence occurring in cloudless regions that causes violent buffeting of aircraft”.
Turbulence is defined by the US National Weather Service as a phenomenon that is “caused by abrupt, irregular movements of air that create sharp, quick updrafts and downdrafts” that “occur in combinations and move aircraft unexpectedly”.
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 37.
While most flyers will have encountered some mild turbulence before, severe turbulence is far more rare.
These are the world’s most turbulent flight routes, from short-haul domestic trips to long-haul journeys Which flight routes experience the most turbulence on average?.
