After the recent severe turbulence incidents Emirates Airlines has decided to add tools to help flights prevent incidents of extreme turbulence.
This comes after two high-profile incidents involving flights operated by other carriers.
SINGAPORE AIRLINES INCIDENT
A Singapore Airlines flight hit clear air turbulence when passing through Myanmar airspace.
On May 21, Flight SQ321 suddenly lost altitude, dropping 6 000 feet. The captain was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand.
The incident resulted in one fatality. One passenger lost their life. A further 22 passengers suffered spinal damage, and six suffered skull and brain injuries.
Over 100 passengers were treated for injuries.
ALSO READ: Singapore Airlines beefs up flight safety measures
QATAR AIRWAYS INCIDENT
Just 5 days later, a Qatar Airways aircraft hit severe turbulence on a flight to Ireland.
Twelve people were injured on the Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin.
CNN reports that six passengers and six crew members were injured in the incident, eight of which were taken to hospital following assessment.
The Qatar Airways flight QR017 experienced turbulence while flying over Turkey.
TURBULENCE DETECTION PLATFORM FOR EMIRATES AIRLINES
Emirates Airlines has taken a significant step in enhancing flight safety and efficiency by joining the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Turbulence Aware Platform.
The Dubai-based carrier becomes the first airline to integrate flight data for real-time accuracy with Lido mPilot from Lufthansa Systems.
Frederic Leger, IATA’s Senior Vice President Commercial Products and Services, said, “Mitigating the adverse effects of turbulence is an industry-wide challenge and obtaining accurate and live data is key in this endeavour. The cooperation between IATA Turbulence Aware, Emirates and Lufthansa Systems will further improve the quality and quantity of real-time data made available to the industry, allowing for smoother and safer air travel for all.”
TURBULENCE DETECTION TOOLS
The integration of these platforms provides pilots with up-to-the-minute, highly accurate turbulence information and forecasts.
This allows pilots to plot the best routes, averting turbulence-affected areas, enhancing safety, efficient navigation, and optimisation of flight plans.
Happy to announce that @Emirates has officially joined Turbulence Aware.
— IATA (@IATA) June 11, 2024
By joining, Emirates will enrich the real-time EDR #turbulence data 📊 made available to the ✈️ industry, allowing for smoother and safer air travel for all.
ℹ️ https://t.co/q9oQT9ecU8
📷 #IATAAGM pic.twitter.com/tW67awCTH2
EMIRATES AIRLINES EQUIPS AIRCRAFT
Emirates has equipped over 140 aircraft with the onboard software to automatically share turbulence reports.
These reports contribute to a pool of data from all participating airlines.
Khaleejtimes reports that future aircraft joining the Emirates fleet, such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777-9, 777-8, and B787, will also be part of this program.
Captain Hassan Alhammadi, Divisional Senior Vice President, Flight Operations Emirates Airline, said, “Actively participating in IATA’s Turbulence Aware platform and equipping our pilots with a complement of the latest industry technologies such as the mobile navigation solution Lido mPilot from Lufthansa Systems are part of our commitment to ensure operational safety, efficiency, and customer comfort on every flight.
