Saudi Arabia | Al-Misnad reveals the causes of air turbulence around Abha Airport

Arab Weather - The Vice President of the Saudi Weather and Climate Society, Dr. Abdullah Al-Misnad, revealed the main causes of the air turbulence that passengers suffer from as planes approach Abha Airport.

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Rockslide in Harub Governorate, northeast of Jazan region
Today is Sunday, 5 Rabi` al-Awwal 1446 AH
Al-Hayah Road linking Harob and Al-Eidabi .

Rock collapses occur as a result of several geographical and geological factors, which can be summarized as follows:

1. Weathering and erosion: Over time, weathering processes… pic.twitter.com/rQ8DCBBegL

— Prof. Abdullah Al-Misnad (@ALMISNID) September 8, 2024

Causes of air turbulence around Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia

• Wind and terrain

Al-Masnad explained that airplane passengers notice an increase in air turbulence before landing or after takeoff from Abha Airport, due to the airport’s geographical location near the edge of the Sarawat Mountains, about 10 kilometers away. When the winds blow from the west, coming from the Red Sea, they collide with the Sarawat Mountains, causing them to rise vertically due to their collision with the high terrain. This sudden rise of the winds leads to atmospheric disturbances that cause air turbulence.

• Shear winds and air vortices

Al-Masnad added in a tweet on his account on "X" that aircraft encounter wind shear when taking off or landing near these vertical currents, which are sudden changes in wind speed and direction, causing sudden vibrations to the aircraft. These effects are more noticeable at certain times of the day, especially in the middle of the day, but professional pilots are able to deal with them effectively.

• West and east winds

He pointed out that the airport site is also exposed to the collision of active westerly winds coming from the Red Sea with eastern winds, which creates air vortices and additional turbulence at altitudes ranging between 1-2 km. This collision increases the occurrence of air turbulence.

• Pilot Requirements

Finally, Al-Masnad stressed that these complex weather and geographical factors require the expertise of professional pilots to deal with them, which prompted the General Authority of Civil Aviation to emphasize the need for professional pilots to fly Abha Airport flights, and to prevent co-pilots from handling these flights, in addition to the city airport.

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