Turbulence forecast website turbli.com has analysed over 150,000 flight records from 2023 to identify the most turbulent routes and airports worldwide. Using eddy dissipation rates (EDR), which measure turbulence intensity on a scale from 0 (light) to 100 (extreme), the rankings aim to help nervous flyers avoid the roughest journeys.
The most turbulent route globally is the 1,184-mile (1,905km) flight from Santiago, Chile, to Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with an average EDR of 17.5. Second is the short 210-mile hop from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Bishkek (EDR 17.4). Six of the top ten roughest routes are in Japan and China, attributed to high jet-stream activity.
In Europe, the bumpiest route is the 132-mile flight from Milan to Geneva (EDR 16.3), ranking fifth worldwide. Five of the top ten European routes involve Zurich, likely due to mountain wave turbulence from the Swiss Alps. The top ten includes Milan-Zurich, Geneva-Zurich, Marseille-Zurich, and others.
US routes are less turbulent, with the worst being Nashville to Raleigh (EDR 14.7), which would not make Europe's top ten. The top US routes include Charlotte-Pittsburgh, Denver-Puerto Vallarta, and New York-Raleigh/Durham. In Oceania, Brisbane to Sydney tops the list (EDR 15.3).
Santiago Airport is ranked as the most turbulent airport globally. A serving airline captain advises that aircraft can withstand turbulence, and pilots may adjust altitude or speed to minimise discomfort.
