Asian Aviation Chiefs Push for Global Turbulence Safety Measures

Asian aviation officials are advocating for global action to reduce turbulence-related injuries at a Montreal meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Citing climate change-driven severe weather patterns, countries like Japan, Korea, and Singapore are urging better data coordination and improved safety measures for pilots and passengers.

Asian aviation officials are pushing for global measures to mitigate turbulence-related injuries, with recent incidents spurring calls for improved forecasting during a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal.

While turbulence rarely causes fatalities, it remains the primary cause of accidents, especially with severe weather patterns exacerbated by climate change, according to the UN's aviation agency. Experts warn that such incidents may increase, prompting global regulators to discuss this at ICAO's air navigation conference that ends on Sept 6.

Asian countries including Japan, Korea, and Singapore are pushing to include turbulence as a category in ICAO's 2026 Global Aviation Safety Plan. They urge better real-time coordination of weather and turbulence data and more accessible pilot alerts, an official from Japan's civil aviation bureau stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)