As the world marks International Civil Aviation Day, Nigerian aviation expert Captain Evarest Nnaji—popularly known as Odengene—has offered new insight into one of aviation’s most misunderstood subjects: air turbulence.
Nnaji, an FAA- and NCAA-licensed pilot and chairman of OAS Helicopters, explained that although turbulence often feels uncomfortable, it is generally safe and rarely threatens an aircraft. He stressed that aviation remains the safest and most reliable form of transportation worldwide.
According to him, turbulence occurs when an aircraft flies through air that is moving unevenly, which may happen because of temperature changes, wind direction, cloud formations or storms. Different types of clouds, including cumulonimbus and nimbostratus, can cause varying degrees of disturbance. Stronger turbulence is often linked to thunderstorms, but commercial pilots do not fly directly through severe storm systems; instead they avoid them using radar, satellite information and weather reports.
He added that another form, known as Clear Air Turbulence, can occur even in cloudless skies and may not provide early warning. When this happens, pilots use a reporting system called PIREP to alert other aircraft flying along the same route.
Nnaji noted that modern aircraft are structurally designed to withstand far greater forces than those produced by turbulence. Every commercial aircraft model must pass strict strength tests before being certified by global aviation regulators. “The aircraft may shake, dip or rattle, but it will not fall from the sky because of turbulence,” he said.
He also advised passengers to remain calm and keep their seatbelts fastened, explaining that the main risk during turbulence is the possibility of injury from sudden movement inside the cabin. “Stay seated, buckle up and trust the aircraft and crew,” he said.
