Novi Times

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) introduced the Severe Turbulence Research and Development Act of 2023. This bill will enhance the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) monitoring and understanding of severe turbulence to better inform the development of measures to mitigate safety impacts on flight crews and the flying public that may result from severe turbulence. Additionally, the bill will direct the FAA to develop methods to track turbulence hazards better, emphasizing researching the increasingly common and dangerous phenomenon of clear-air turbulence. 

A new study released last week shows that dangerous clear-air turbulence has increased as the climate changes. Scientists have evidence that clear-air turbulence will be more frequent because of climate change, but outdated datasets and limited coverage have hindered previous efforts to calculate past turbulence trends. 

"Turbulence is the number one cause of injuries to airline passengers and flight crews," said Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11). "There are at least 19 cases that required hospitalization in the last year. These incidents are deeply concerning, and consumers deserve to have safe flying experiences. Scientific evidence shows that climate change has already begun to increase turbulence. As climate change's effects become more severe, further research is desperately needed to improve turbulence data collection and forecasting to protect passengers and flight crews." 

"Turbulence is the leading cause of serious injury for Flight Attendants and the biggest threat of serious injury for all passengers in the air," said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing 50,000 Flight Attendants at 19 airlines. "Clear Air Turbulence (CAT) is becoming more common and more extreme every year as the climate changes. We applaud Rep. Stevens for introducing the Severe Turbulence Research and Development Act of 2023 to study and monitor this serious hazard and create measures to keep us all safer in the air. As aviation's first responders - charged with the safety, health, and security of the passengers in our care - we know this threat needs mitigation, and thank goodness we have a partner in Rep. Stevens to take real action for our safety in the aircraft cabin." 

 "The frequency of severe turbulence is increasing and poses a serious safety risk. Scientific evidence now shows this increase is tied to rising global temperatures. The legislation introduced by Congresswoman Stevens would support critical research needed to further our understanding, monitor this dangerous phenomenon, and safeguard travelers and crew," said Janice R. Lachance, Interim Executive Director and CEO of the American Geophysical Union.

 Rep. Haley Stevens' Severe Turbulence, Research and Development Act establishes processes for comprehensive data collection to record turbulence incidents. It ensures turbulence data is widely available to the scientific research, user, and stakeholder community. This legislation also supports research and development to understand the impacts of climate change on turbulence and study to enhance turbulence forecasts for flight planning for schedule and route-planning and long-term projections of severe turbulence. Additionally, the bill requires the FAA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to identify future research needed to predict and mitigate the safety impacts that may result from severe turbulence.

 This legislation is supported by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the Communications Workers of America Union, which represents working people in the airline industry, and the American Geophysical Union, which supports more than half a million Earth and space sciences professionals.

Original source can be found here.