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KOREAN AIR has announced that it would be finishing cabin service 20 minutes earlier on medium and long-haul routes. This means cabin service is now ending 40 minutes before landing. Korean Air said the change would allow inflight services to end before the plane descends for landing.
One of just 10 airlines to be rated five stars by Skytrax, Korean Air’s decision could influence other carriers to make similar moves. It came after Singapore Airlines — also rated five stars — changed its cabin-service protocol.
That followed a severe turbulence incident on one of its aircraft in May, in which a 73-year-old man died and dozens more were injured. Days later, Singapore Airlines said it would no longer serve meals when the seatbelt light is on.
In Monday’s announcement, Korean Air said turbulence had “become a persistent and growing problem in recent years.” It added that the number of incidents had doubled in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2019.
The carrier also suggested the climate crisis had had an impact. “Turbulence is becoming more frequent, especially as the aircraft descends, due to large temperature differences between altitudes,” it said.
Turbulence is created by friction between air molecules caused by differences in wind speed. The warming climate imparts more energy into the air, which creates more friction. This is especially notable around the jet streams, where clear-air turbulence is most common.
In a 2023 study, researchers from the University of Reading found turbulence was getting more common over the North Atlantic, around the north polar jet stream. At a typical point, the most severe type of clear-air turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020, the study found. [sources/photo special]
