The most turbulent flight routes in South America
On La Serena–Santiago, the bumpiest route in South America, 51% of the flight time was in bumpy air. A typical route here: 8%. Almost all of the top 20 crosses or follows the Andes.
The 20 most turbulent routes in South America
Yellow is the share of the flight in light-or-worse bumpy air, orange the part that was moderate or worse. Tap a route for its live forecast.
- 1 La Serena – Santiago LSC · SCL · 389 km 51%32% moderate
- 2 Mendoza – Santiago MDZ · SCL · 196 km 50%26% moderate
- 3 Puerto Montt – Santiago PMC · SCL · 918 km 49%25% moderate
- 4 Puerto Montt – Punta Arenas PMC · PUQ · 1,296 km 45%21% moderate
- 5 Copiapo – Santiago CPO · SCL · 682 km 45%20% moderate
- 6 Bariloche – Mendoza BRC · MDZ · 949 km 44%19% moderate
- 7 Santiago – Valdivia SCL · ZAL · 725 km 44%19% moderate
- 8 Punta Arenas – Santiago PUQ · SCL · 2,180 km 42%17% moderate
- 9 Cochabamba – Santa Cruz CBB · VVI · 323 km 39%23% moderate
- 10 Antofagasta – Santiago ANF · SCL · 1,107 km 39%16% moderate
- 11 Calama – Santiago CJC · SCL · 1,225 km 38%14% moderate
- 12 Cordoba – Santiago COR · SCL · 660 km 36%14% moderate
- 13 El Calafate – Ushuaia FTE · USH · 567 km 36%14% moderate
- 14 Mendoza – Neuquén MDZ · NQN · 683 km 36%13% moderate
- 15 Iquique – Santiago IQQ · SCL · 1,431 km 33%13% moderate
- 16 Calama – La Serena CJC · LSC · 856 km 33%14% moderate
- 17 Bariloche – Cordoba BRC · COR · 1,258 km 33%11% moderate
- 18 Rio Gallegos – Ushuaia RGL · USH · 366 km 32%12% moderate
- 19 Comodoro Rivadavia – Neuquén CRD · NQN · 762 km 32%11% moderate
- 20 Buenos Aires Ezeiza – Florianópolis EZE · FLN · 1,237 km 31%12% moderate
Crossing the Andes
The Andes are the longest mountain range on Earth and, between Santiago and Mendoza, among the highest: Aconcagua stands almost 7,000 m right under the route. Any west wind blowing across that wall sets up mountain waves that reach far above cruise height, and the subtropical jet stream often sits right over it. A flight of under an hour spends most of its time in that air.
Chile's own domestic routes, up and down the length of the range from Calama and La Serena to Puerto Montt, fill most of the rest of the list. Further south, Patagonia lies in the westerlies, the strong wind belt of the Southern Ocean, and routes to Punta Arenas, Bariloche and Ushuaia meet the same wind and the same mountains.
In the tropics the bumps come from storms instead, building over the Amazon and the highlands in the afternoon.
When in the day routes here are smoothest
By local departure time, averaged over every ranked South American route.
The smoothest routes in South America
Near the equator: north-east Brazil's coast, and Colombia's short hops, where the Andes are far from any jet stream.
- 1 Bucaramanga – Bogota BGA · BOG · 290 km 1%0% moderate
- 2 Cali – Medellín CLO · MDE · 310 km 1%0% moderate
- 3 Maceió – Recife MCZ · REC · 181 km 1%0% moderate
- 4 Natal – Recife NAT · REC · 267 km 1%0% moderate
- 5 Cali – Quibdó CLO · UIB · 241 km 1%0% moderate
- 6 Aracaju – Recife AJU · REC · 396 km 1%0% moderate
- 7 Medellín Olaya Herrera – Quibdó EOH · UIB · 130 km 1%0% moderate
- 8 Ilhéus – Salvador IOS · SSA · 226 km 1%0% moderate
- 9 Aracaju – Salvador AJU · SSA · 254 km 1%0% moderate
- 10 Caracas – Isla Margarita CCS · PMV · 332 km 2%0% moderate
South American turbulence questions
What is the most turbulent flight route in South America?
La Serena–Santiago, with 51% of the flight time in light-or-worse bumpy air across every snapshot in the report.
Why is Santiago to Mendoza so turbulent?
It crosses the Andes at almost their highest, right past Aconcagua, in a flight short enough that most of it is spent over the range. West wind across the mountains sets up waves that reach cruise height, and the jet stream often sits overhead.
Is flying across the Andes safe?
Yes. The crossing is flown many times a day, crews plan for the waves and avoid the strongest ones, and turbulence does not threaten an airliner's structure. Keep your seatbelt fastened for the whole flight.
When is the best time to fly over the Andes?
The southern summer, from December to March, when the jet stream is weaker and further south. The winter months bring the strongest wind across the range.
A ranking is the average. Your flight is one day.
FlyBud forecasts the turbulence along your actual route, at your actual time, and updates it as new weather comes in.