Aircraft seem to be suffering more and more from in-flight turbulence. And it's not just an impression: it's an increasingly serious challenge for airlines because of their growing frequency and seriousness.
The Dubai carrier Emirates decided to adopt a proactive approach. With the hope of resolving the occasional inconvenience it can cause by planning smoother flights.
Anticipating turbulence
The company is working on anticipating such turbulence by analysing and using multiple sources of information to provide accurate data in real time. This approach is helping to reduce the number of flights confronted with severe turbulence. In particular, it improves the on-board experience for passengers and crew.
Captain Hassan Alhammadi, Vice President Flight Operations at Emirates, says: "We recognise that in-flight turbulence remains an ongoing challenge that cannot be completely eliminated. Nevertheless, we are committed to doing everything we can to minimise these encounters with severe turbulence. We are working with partners on advanced technologies and AI adoption to improve operations. Although we are still in the early stages, we are already seeing validation of the potential benefits these systems can offer .
Initial results show a significant reduction in incidents of severe turbulence over the past year. Emirates uses a number of technologies.
Emirates' current meteorological detection configuration brings together SkyPath, Lido mPilot from Lufthansa Systems and IATA Turbulence Aware into a complementary configuration offering revolutionary innovation thanks to AI. It enables machine learning and real-time analysis of turbulence data.
Three coordinated programmes
SkyPath Emirates and SkyPath are working to improve weather forecasts based on AI and machine learning that identify areas of turbulence that conventional methods miss. SkyPath's platform integrates real-time turbulence reports from thousands of aircraft with state-of-the-art analytics, using advanced AI and machine learning to generate accurate predictions, even for areas with no current flight activity or turbulence that is difficult to detect in 'clear weather'.
In particular, SkyPath gathers information from eddy dissipation rate (EDR) data and various technological innovations analysing aircraft movements. With a predictive accuracy unequalled in the industry.
Lido mPilot Emirates' long-standing partnership with Lufthansa Systems provides a customised mobile navigation mapping application tailored to the airline's operational requirements. Through partnerships with sources such as the German Meteorological Service, Lido mPilot provides highly accurate weather reports, live cloud and convection data, as well as turbulence and icing forecasts to enhance pilots' situational awareness.
IATA Turbulence Aware Since joining IATA's Turbulence Aware programme last year, Emirates has been using and distributing real-time turbulence data from its network across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. This data feeds into the IATA Global Turbulence Platform, which aggregates contributions from participating airlines around the world to provide a comprehensive, real-time view of atmospheric conditions.
By integrating this information into its electronic flight bag mapping application, Emirates is providing its pilots with live, in situ visualisations of turbulence. The aim is always to anticipate turbulence for the comfort of passengers on board.
