Singapore Airlines joins platform to combat severe turbulence amid climate change concerns

The initiative, which includes more than 25 airlines, uses anonymised data to help pilots avoid turbulence and navigate smoother flight paths

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Singapore Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:30pm, 11 Dec 2024

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has joined a global turbulence data-sharing platform to improve in-flight safety, a move aviation analysts describe as significant amid increasing reports of severe mid-air jolts that can pose risks to passengers and crew.

“SIA is quick to adopt new technology, including artificial intelligence, to help mitigate future air turbulence issues,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of advisory firm Endau Analytics. “Airlines using this platform can share invaluable real-time data to avoid danger zones.”

The platform, known as Turbulence Aware, pools anonymised data from participating airlines, enabling pilots and dispatchers to chart smoother flight paths and improve fuel efficiency.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Tuesday that SIA, along with its budget arm Scoot, South Korean carrier Asiana Airlines and British Airways, had joined the initiative, which now includes more than 25 airlines contributing data from more than 2,600 aircraft.

“This real-time, accurate turbulence reporting enables pilots and dispatchers to choose optimal flight paths, avoiding turbulence and flying at optimum levels to maximise fuel efficiency and thereby reduce CO2 carbon emissions,” the statement read.

In May, one of this year’s most severe incidents of air turbulence occurred on SIA flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, which resulted in one fatality and injuries to dozens of passengers.