Turbulence increases. Mandatory seatbelt wearing may not be the solution, pilot says

Turbulence has become more frequent, a trend that American Airlines captain Dennis Tajer has experienced firsthand.

For the safety of passengers, Tajer, a pilot for more than 30 years, said it’s important for passengers to wear their seat belts at all times when they’re seated, even if it’s not required by law. It’s for their own protection and the safety of those around them, Tajer told FOX Business.

Clear-air turbulence has increased in regions around the world, according to a 2023 study by researchers at the University of Reading in the U.K. Over the North Atlantic, one of the world’s busiest air routes, the total annual duration of severe turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020.

Moderate turbulence increased by 37%, and light turbulence increased by 17%. All of the aforementioned increases were consistent with the effects of climate change, according to the study published in Geophysical Research Letters. The researchers further noted that these

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“After a decade of research showing that climate change will increase clean air turbulence in the future, we now have evidence to suggest this increase has already begun,” said Professor Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, who co-authored the study.

Even though turbulence has changed over the years, Tajer believes the current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seat belt regulations may not necessarily change.

FAA regulations require passengers to wear seat belts properly during taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Although the regulations do not define the term “properly fastened,” passengers must follow crew member instructions regarding seat belt use.

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The FAA told FOX Business that the regulations also require crew members to notify passengers when and under what circumstances they must fasten their seat belts. Passengers must follow crew member instructions on how to fasten their seat belts, according to the FAA.

Airlines for America, a trade group representing major U.S. passenger carriers, told FOX Business that all of its members “encourage the wearing of seat belts while seated for safety reasons, including in the event of turbulence.” Whenever turbulence is forecast or encountered, passenger carriers will remind passengers to remain seated and fasten their seat belts. Seat belt signs will typically be activated, the trade group said.

However, there is no law requiring seat belts to be fastened throughout the flight.

First, that’s not possible because people have to get up and use the restroom, Tajer said. He also said that if the seat belt sign were on all the time, it would reduce its importance when there is actually serious turbulence.

“We found out that if we leave the seat belt sign on when it’s not necessary and it’s calm weather, ignoring the seat belt sign becomes normal,” Tajer said, adding that “the fact that it’s on all the time doesn’t make it special, and people get used to it and start to just ignore it.”

However, Tajer says people should wear seat belts, regardless of what the sign says.

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The answer is not “to pass a law that says you have to wear a seat belt at all times when you’re in a car… the answer is ongoing education,” Tajer continued.

“As basic as it may be, the ultimate form of technology that can protect you from injury is wearing a seat belt,” Tajer said, adding that “severe turbulence happens more often in our anecdotal experience and there is usually a warning, but sometimes there isn’t.”

The FAA said it is working to warn flight crews about turbulence “using technology and encouraging and communicating turbulence reports to pilots.”

In addition, the FAA said it has developed a “turbulence forecast” under a contract with the National Center for Atmospheric Science that provides rapidly updated, 15-minute forecasts of turbulence so that pilots and airline dispatchers can make tactical decisions about how to avoid it.