10 most turbulent air journeys in the world 

Air turbulence will probably be experienced by most flyers at some point. Categorised as “light, moderate, severe or extreme”, the majority of us luckily only encounter the milder end of the spectrum, with changes in air movements around aircraft causing them to move unexpectedly, like a boat on waves.

Often turbulence can be predicted, with stormy weather patterns and certain landscapes, such as rugged mountainous terrain, producing atmospheric effects that can be detected by aircraft equipment or meteorological agencies. But one type of turbulence, Clear Air Turbulence, or CAT, is more problematic, says the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) “because it is often encountered unexpectedly and frequently without visual clues”.

With climate change bringing more violent weather events, turbulence is set to increase in the future, scientists say. But where are the worst routes for air turbulence? Turbulence monitoring website Turbli, studied 150,000 routes to find the most turbulent flights of 2023, ranked by “eddy dissipation rate”, a measure defined by Turbli founder Ignacio Gallego Marcos as the “the turbulence intensity at a given spot”.

Worst routes for turbulence

Bolivia’s route between Santiago, Chile, and Viru Viru International Airport in Bolivia came out worst for turbulence in 2023. It overflies the Andes, where warm air rising from the foothills meets colder air from higher altitudes, meaning frequent and sudden changes in weather.

Another mountainous route took second place in the ranking. The flight between Almaty, in Kazakhstan, and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, uses airspace where the 4,895-metre Tian Shan mountain range meets the steppe. Thankfully the flight is short.

Lanzhou – Chengdu in China came third, over the Tibetan Plateau and its mountains, valleys and gorges, while Chubu Centrair – Sendai, in Japan, came fourth. Gallego Marcos explains that turbulence in China and Japan is more likely to be jet-stream-related than that in South America. As a result, most of the rest of the top ten is populated by similar Asian flights.

Why is flying over Tibet so challenging?

Europe’s Swiss-Italian routes also made it into the top ten twice. Once at number five, with Milan – Geneva, the most turbulent route in Europe, and then at number 10, with Milan – Zurich.

How to avoid the worst effects of turbulence?

Choose seats near the wings at the centre of the plane or near the front.  Stay buckled up in your seatbelt and only move about the cabin when necessary. Ensure hand luggage is safely stowed and check that overhead storage is securely shut.