The routes and airports with the most turbulence in the world

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What are the routes and airports with the most turbulence in the world?? We review the data of the 2025.

The turbulence is, definitely, one of the biggest concerns for the average passenger and a constant factor in airline operational planning. Recently, the portal specialized in aviation forecasts, turbli.com, has published an exhaustive analysis of the routes and airports with the highest turbulence index worldwide, based on the Eddy Dissipation Rate (EDR, for its acronym in English).

The data reveal a compelling geographical reality: The orography of the Andes Mountains makes the Southern Cone the world epicenter of air turbulence.

The busiest routes on the planet

According to the report, The air route with the highest average turbulence in the world connects Mendoza (MDz), on Argentina, with Santiago de Chile (SCL). With a distance of just 196 km, This route records an average EDR of 22.983.

To put it in perspective, This value far exceeds other complex routes in Asia or North America. The technical explanation lies in the mountain waves generated by the strong westerly winds that impact the Andes., creating unstable air flows that aircraft must almost necessarily cross when descending towards Santiago or the climb towards Mendoza.

The "Top 5" of the most turbulent routes in the world are dominated by mountainous geography, with a strong South American and Asian presence:

1. Mendoza (MDz) – Santiago (SCL): 22.983 EDR
2. Xining (XNN) – Yinchuan (INC), China: 18.935 EDR
3. Chengdu (TFU) – Xining (XNN), China: 18.758 EDR
4. Córdoba (COR) – Santiago (SCL): 18.643 EDR
5. Santa Cruz (VVI) – Santiago (SCL): 18.33 EDR

It is notable that three of the five routes with the greatest "chop" (jerks) of the world have Santiago de Chile as their destination or origin, which underlines the operational complexity of the region.

Routes with the most turbulence in South America

Here you have the detailed analysis of the South American routes, written with the requested technical and journalistic approach, ideal to continue the thread of the previous post.

The crossing of the Andes: The most turbulent air routes in South America
If we analyze air traffic point to point, Turbli data yields a strong conclusion for the region: cross the Andes Mountains, especially to or from Chile, is a guarantee of intense atmospheric activity.

The ranking of the routes with the highest average turbulence (EDR) It is dominated almost entirely by routes that connect Argentina and Chile, or that fly parallel to the foothills. The common factor is the interaction of strong westerly winds with the abrupt Andean orography, generating the famous "mountain waves" that shake aircraft.

Next, the detail of the 10 busiest routes in the region:

1. Mendoza (MDz) – Santiago (SCL)
   1. Distance: 196 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 22.983
2. Córdoba (COR) – Santiago (SCL)
   1. Distance: 660 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 18.643
3. Santa Cruz (VVI) – Santiago (SCL)
   1. Distance: 1.905 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 18.33
4. 4. Mendoza (MDz) – Salta (SLA)
   1. Distance: 940 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 18.307
5. 5. Mendoza (MDz) – San Carlos de Bariloche (BRC)
   1. Distance: 946 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 18.17
6. 6. Córdoba (COR) – Mendoza (MDz)
   1. Distance: 464 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 17.139
7. 7. Salta (SLA) – Holy Cross (VVI)
   1. Distance: 834 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 16.772
8. 8. Córdoba (COR) – Salta (SLA)
   1. Distance: 727 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 16.714
9. 9. San Carlos de Bariloche (BRC) – Santiago (SCL)
   1. Distance: 861 km
   2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 16.503
10. 10. Assumption (ASU) – Santiago (SCL)
    1. Distance: 1.571 km
    2. Medium Turbulence (EDR): 16.252

The airports with the greatest convective activity

Turbli analysis is not limited to routes, but also ranks airports based on the average turbulence experienced in their vicinity (approach and takeoff). Again, South America leads the global table.

Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in Santiago it ranks first in the world with an average EDR of 21.446, followed closely by Mendoza (MDz) and jump (SLA).

The global ranking of the most turbulent airports is as follows:

1. Santiago (SCL): 21.446
2. Mendoza (MDz): 21.174
3. Salta (SLA): 20.701
4. Xining (XNN): 19.221
5. Lanzhou (LHW): 18.247

Airports with more turbulence

1. Santiago, Chile (SCL)
   • Average EDR: 21.446
2. Mendoza, Argentina (MDz)
   • Average EDR: 21.174
3. Salta, Argentina (SLA)
   • Average EDR: 20.701
4. San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina (BRC)
   • Average EDR: 16.707
5. Córdoba, Argentina (COR)
   • Average EDR: 16.000
6. Quito, Ecuador (UIO)
   • Average EDR: 14.718
7. Cusco, Peru (CUZ)
   • Average EDR: 14.547
8. Buenos Aires, Argentina (EZE)
   • Average EDR: 14.299
9. Incarnation, Paraguay (ENO)
   • Average EDR: 14.166
10. Montevideo, Uruguay (MVD)
    • Average EDR: 14.004

The local data: In the regional breakdown of South America, the Quito Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) appears in sixth position with an EDR of 14.718, confirming that the location in high areas surrounded by mountains is a determining factor for the generation of orographic turbulence.

Panorama in the Northern Hemisphere and other regions

While in the south the Andes dictate the conditions, In North America the main influence comes from the Rocky Mountains. Denver airport (THE) is crowned the most turbulent in the region (17.911 EDR) and their routes to Jackson (JAC) and Salt Lake City (SLC) are the most affected.

In Europe, activity is concentrated in the Alps. Routes like the one in Nice (NCE) a Ginebra (GVA) They have the highest rates on the continent, due to the air currents that are channeled between the Swiss and French mountain ranges.

In Asia, China and Japan's rugged topography dominates statistics, with airports such as Xining and Lanzhou recording very high values, comparable to those of the Southern Cone.

What does this mean for security?

From an operational perspective, It is vital to remember that a high EDR does not imply insecurity. Modern aircraft are certified to withstand structural loads far in excess of those imposed by even severe turbulence..

This Turbli data is mainly used to help flight crews and dispatchers plan more efficient routes and to let frequent flyers in these areas know that buckling up is not just a recommendation., but a constant necessity when flying near the world's great mountain ranges.

How is turbulence measured??

In the classifications and forecasts, turbulence is expressed in units of eddy dissipation rate (EDR), an aircraft-independent unit that represents the rate at which turbulent structures break down and dissipate their energy into heat. The limits between different levels of turbulence vary depending on the source.

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