The European flight route nervous travellers should avoid as it has the WORST turbulence
WE’VE all had a bumpy ride when it comes to flying. But there are some routes that can be a little more turbulent than others.
A new study has revealed which routes in Europe are the most likely to experience rough rides, and they all have one place in common.
According to the research by Turbli, a turbulence tracking website, if anyone has a fear of flying, it might be best to avoid going anywhere near Switzerland.
The most turbulent routes either begin or end in Switzerland, with other routes passing over or around the Swiss Alps.
To calculate the likelihood of turbulence, Turbli uses eddy dissipation rate (EDR) which measures atmospheric turbulence.
Here are the most turbulent routes in Europe from 2024.
At the top with the highest turbulence and an EDR of 16.07, was the journey from Nice to Geneva.
The flight path goes over the Alps which is where the turbulence happens. Strong winds blowing over the mountains can disrupt the flight path, so it’s best to avoid if you’re an anxious flyer.
The next two journeys were the Nice flight to Zurich, and the Milan path to Zurich.
In fourth was the Milan flight to Lyon with an EDR of 15.37. Nice to Basel in Switzerland was very close behind with an EDR of 15.33.
Sixth on the list was the route from Geneva to Zurich, followed by Nice to Lyon.
The flight from Geneva to Venice was next, followed by the journey from Lyon to Zurich.
Coming in tenth, but still a route to be avoided for anxious flyers is from Venice to Zurich which had an EDR of 14.67.
According to Turbli, anything under an EDR of 20 is considered ‘light’ turbulence, with those between 20 and 40 being moderate. No flight path over Europe has reached that level.
In fact, there’s no route in the world that has ranked either strong (40-60) or extreme (80-100) on a yearly average basis.
All high turbulent crossings in the world also have something in common, mountain ranges.
The flight paths with the highest EDR’s are all in South America and cross over the Andes.
The route with an EDR of 24.68, which equates to ‘moderate’ turbulence, was Mendoza to Santiago.
Cordoba to Santiago came in second and Mendoza to Salta following on in third.
A flight over the Andes can make for a worse journey than the Alps because it’s hotter. The warmer and more humid the air, the more extreme the turbulence will be.
FOOD THAT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS HATE SEEING ON PLANES
FLIGHT attendants have revealed five foods they never want to see passengers eating on board their planes.
Cabin crew members Uncle J and B revealed the foods they hate serving on planes in an episode of the Flight Attendant Podcast.
B said that the three she hates are fish, hard-boiled eggs and surprisingly broccoli.
Uncle J agreed and explained why broccoli was so unpleasant.
He added: “Those three things are the worst. Especially the broccoli.
“When you open the container the broccoli is in, if it’s cooked, oh my god, I want to barf. It’s so bad.
“There’s something about the smell of cooked broccoli that has been sitting in a bag or a container that’s not pleasant at all.
“I think I can handle the egg because I immediately know what the egg is. But with the broccoli, I think “Is it bad?” Is it okay?”.
B also put forward two other suggestions that she feels are almost as offensive as the broccoli.
She continued: “Kimchi. I love kimchi, but please don’t eat it on my plane.”
“Cooked cauliflower is kind of the same as broccoli.”
Some foods are so stinky that they’re banned from planes.
The durian is actually quite popular in some Asian cuisines, but its smell is so pungent that almost all airlines won’t allow it on board.
China Southern Airlines, who provide some flights for British Airways, specifically list the fruit on their list of prohibited items, due to its unpleasant scent.
They aren’t the only ones either, with Air New Zealand‘s website advising: “durian fruit cannot be carried, either on your person, in carry-on or in checked in luggage.”