Pete Buttigieg, the Transportation Secretary, states that climate change is the cause of rising flight turbulence.

• Climate change is causing an increase in flight turbulence, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
• American travelers, whether at home or abroad, will continue to experience turbulence, as forecasted by Buttigieg.
• A Qatar Airways flight on Sunday resulted in 12 injuries, as turbulence has caused disruptions to numerous flights this year.

According to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, an increase in flight turbulence can be attributed to climate change.

"According to Buttigieg, the effects of climate change are already evident in our transportation, and this trend will continue to impact American travelers both domestically and internationally."

"We've witnessed extreme weather conditions such as heat waves and hurricanes, and indications of increased turbulence. As a result, we must evaluate all possible solutions to mitigate these effects."

A research study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters in the previous year revealed that there has been a rise in clear-air turbulence (CAT) from 1979 to 2020. Specifically, the frequency of "severe-or-greater" turbulence, the strongest category of CAT, increased by 55% over the North Atlantic during this time period.

"As our climate changes, our policies, technology, and infrastructure must also adapt accordingly, said Buttigieg."

This year, a number of flights have been disrupted due to turbulence, and his comments reflect that.

On Sunday, 12 people were injured after a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey. Six passengers and six crew members were injured, with eight of them requiring hospitalization, according to a post by Dublin Airport.

The aircraft arrived at the airport at 12:59 p.m. local time and was greeted by emergency services, including airport police and the fire and rescue department, upon landing, the airport announced in a separate post on X.

Last week, a Singapore Airlines flight experienced severe turbulence, resulting in the death of one person and injuring 30 others.

The Transportation Secretary stated that while the turbulence on the Singapore Airlines flight was "rare," he emphasized that "turbulence can occur and can be unpredictable."

""While there are protocols and patterns for pilots to notify others of turbulence, we must continually re-evaluate them as these events are becoming more frequent and severe," he stated."

'Err on the side of reporting'

During the first two months of 2024, there was a 500% increase in employee submissions about quality and safety concerns compared to the same period a year ago, as revealed on Friday.

The increase in submissions following the January 5 blowout of a 737 Max 9 plane section is a positive sign of progress towards a strong reporting culture, according to the aerospace giant.

Boeing's findings were backed up by Buttigieg, who stated it is "encouraging" to see aviation employees promoting a culture of "if you see something, say something."

"He instructed us to prioritize reporting, while acknowledging that the concerning aspect is that any of those issues are occurring."

Boeing executives will meet with the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday to discuss their plan for enhancing quality control. The FAA revealed in February that it had granted the company 90 days to develop the plan.