On July 30, 2025, Delta Air Lines Flight DL56 from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam encountered severe mid-air turbulence over Wyoming at approximately 37,000 ft – first ascending about 1,000 ft before plunging to around 35,775 ft over about 90 seconds. The 275 passengers and 13 crew members aboard the Airbus A330-900neo endured a harrowing experience. Flight attendants, beverage carts, and unbelted passengers were thrown upward, with some striking the cabin ceiling. Twenty-five people, including 18 passengers and seven crew, were hospitalized after the flight diverted to Minneapolis. All but those still under evaluation were released by the following morning.
Though terrifying in isolation, the incident is just the latest in a growing number of mid-air turbulence events. These episodes strike suddenly, often in clear skies, and are increasingly linked to climate change.
What Is Clear-Air Turbulence and Why Is It Getting Worse?
Clear-air turbulence (CAT) is defined as “sudden severe turbulence occurring in cloudless regions that causes violent buffeting of aircraft.”
Unlike turbulence caused by thunderstorms or mountains, clear-air turbulence (CAT) occurs at high altitudes near the jet stream, in calm, cloudless skies. It is invisible to radar and typically strikes during cruise, when passengers and crew are least prepared.
Climate scientists have found that rising greenhouse gas emissions are warming the atmosphere unevenly. This disrupts jet streams and increases vertical wind shear, the primary driver of CAT.
A 2023 study published in Geophysical Research Letters found that severe CAT over the North Atlantic has increased by 55 percent since 1979. Light and moderate CAT also rose significantly, by 17 percent and 37 percent respectively. With future warming of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, the frequency of severe CAT could double or even triple by 2050, especially along transatlantic and transpacific routes.
“Following a decade of research showing that climate change will increase clear-air turbulence in the future, we now have evidence suggesting that the increase has already begun. We should be investing in improved turbulence forecasting and detection systems, to prevent the rougher air from translating into bumpier flights in the coming decades,” said Professor Paul Williams, a co-author of the study.
Five Recent Mid‑Air Turbulence Incidents
- Delta Air Lines Flight DL56 from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam
Date: July 30, 2025
Location: Over Wyoming at approximately 37,000 feet
Impact: 25 injured, emergency diversion to Minneapolis
Details: Sudden CAT during cruise with no storm activity present - American Airlines flight from Miami to Raleigh‑Durham
Date: June 2025
Location: Southeastern United States
Impact: Five passengers taken to hospital
Details: Turbulence occurred mid‑cruise in clear skies - United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Singapore
Date: March 2025
Location: Over the Philippines
Impact: Five injured, safe landing in Singapore
Details: Clear‑air turbulence struck mid‑flight; no convective activity reported - Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 from London to Singapore
Date: May 21, 2024
Location: Over Myanmar at approximately 37,000 feet
Impact: One fatality, more than 100 injured
Details: CAT hit during cabin service; investigators confirmed clear‑air event - easyJet flight from Corfu to London Gatwick
Date: August 19, 2024
Location: Approximately 20 minutes after take‑off at cruising altitude over the Ionian Sea / southern Italy
Impact: Two flight attendants injured, flight diverted to Rome
Details: No weather systems were present; investigators classify event as likely clear‑air turbulence
What the Data Shows
Most clear-air turbulence incidents occur between 30,000 and 40,000 feet, particularly over the North Atlantic, the U.S. Midwest, and parts of Southeast Asia. Turbulence is the leading cause of serious injuries to flight attendants.
According to U.S. data, from 2009 to 2023, turbulence caused 40 serious passenger injuries and 166 crew injuries. Globally, the airline industry now spends an estimated 150 to 500 million dollars annually on turbulence-related costs, including medical care, maintenance, and delays.
How the Aviation Industry Is Responding
To reduce injuries, airlines are making changes.
Some airlines have modified service protocols to limit cabin activity during cruise, adjusting their hot meal and beverage routines. In August 2024, Korean Air stopped serving instant noodles (ramyeon) in economy class on long-haul routes in response to increasing turbulence incidents. This change aims to prevent burn injuries as the noodles require boiling water. The carrier also decided to end cabin service 40 minutes before landing (instead of the prior 20 minutes).The FAA and IATA recommend that passengers keep seat belts fastened at all times, not just when the seat belt sign is on.
Technology is also playing a role. Tools like IATA’s Turbulence Aware platform use real-time data from thousands of flights to improve turbulence forecasting. But clear-air turbulence remains difficult to predict, especially in regions where upper-air observations are sparse.
Aircraft manufacturers and researchers are also exploring new sensors and AI-based forecasting tools to detect CAT before it strikes.
These recent incidents offer a sobering look at the realities of flying in a warming world. As the planet continues to heat, jet streams are shifting and the atmosphere is becoming more unstable at cruising altitudes.
For airlines, that means rethinking operations. For passengers, it may mean wearing seat belts for longer stretches. And for the broader aviation ecosystem, it signals the need to take turbulence seriously as a climate impact already unfolding and not just a bump in the sky.
Image: Pexels/Pew Nguyen
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