New Study Shows the Busiest U.S. Flight Routes

According to a study that examined the turbulence levels of 150,000 airline routes using the travel tool Turbli, passengers flying from Nashville to Raleigh/Durham are most likely to have the bumpiest travels. 

The scientific term for the degree of turbulence intensity used in the report to determine the turbulence levels is “eddy dissipation rate,” which is assigned to each route. 

The following are the top ten worst routes for turbulence:

• Nashville (BNA) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
• Charlotte (CLT) to Pittsburgh (PIT)
• Denver (DEN) to Puerto Vallarta (PVR)
• New York (JFK) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
• Warwick (PVD) to Syracuse (SYR)
• Atlanta (ATL) to Dulles (IAD)
• Pittsburgh (PIT) to Raleigh/Durham (RDU)
• New York (LGA) to Portland (PWM)
• Boston (BOS) to Syracuse (SYR)
• Boston (BOS) to Philadelphia (PHL)

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, turbulence is an air movement caused by jet streams, temperature fronts, air surrounding mountains, thunderstorms, and atmospheric pressure. It can occur when the sky looks clear and can come unexpectedly.

The report also provides information on the global airports most susceptible to turbulence within a 100-kilometer radius of the hub, with Santiago (SCL), Medina (MED), and Tokyo’s Narita (NRT) securing the top three positions. In the United States, Denver (DEN) holds the 7th rank, making it the sole US airport in the top ten.

2022 saw the highest number of turbulence-related injuries (17 cases) since 2011. Most injuries from turbulence are sustained by airline crew members, according to FAA data. The FAA advises using only authorized child safety seats on board aircraft and always fastening your seatbelt to protect yourself from sudden turbulence.