These Were the Most Turbulent Flight Routes in 2024, According to New Study

Aviation may be one of the safest forms of transportation, but unexpected turbulence can be an uncomfortable or even dangerous experience for airline passengers. While most routes will experience some form of turbulence, a new report reveals that some routes may be more prone to it than others. 

Within the United States, flights from Albuquerque, NM to Denver, CO reported the highest average turbulence rate. For international flights, travelers from Mendoza, Argentina to Santiago, Chile experienced it the worst. These results and more were part of a study from turbulence tracking company Turbli, which publishes maps and historical data on airline turbulence. The rest of the top ten of their “Most Turbulent Flight Routes” in the U.S. includes:

1. Albuquerque (ABQ) – Denver (DEN)
2. Denver (DEN) – Jackson (JAC)
3. Jackson (JAC) – Salt Lake City (SLC)
4. Denver (DEN) – Salt Lake City (SLC)
5. Bozeman (BZN) – Denver (DEN)
6. Ontario (ONT) – San Diego (SAN)
7. Boise (BOI) – Salt Lake City (SLC)
8. Bozeman (BZN) – Salt Lake City (SLC)
9. Las Vegas (LAS) – Reno (RNO)
10. Las Vegas (LAS) – Salt Lake City (SLC)

The report also analyzed the most turbulent airports, and include Denver, Bozeman, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and Jackson. Las Vegas was the sixth most turbulent airport in America. For reference, Nashville to Raleigh/Durham ranked as the worst route for turbulence in the 2023 report. 

“Turbulence is air movement that normally cannot be seen and often occurs unexpectedly,” the Federal Aviation Administration explains about the phenomenon on its website. “It can be created by many different conditions, including atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts or thunderstorms. Turbulence can even occur when the sky appears to be clear.”

The agency recommends keeping seat belts fastened at all times, and listening for safety briefings and communications from the flight crew to stay safe during turbulence.