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Travel & Airport English vocabulary · Boarding & On the Plane

Turbulence

Meaning in travel & airport english, with examples

/ˈtɜːrbjələns/nounCommon term

In travel & airport english, turbulence means: Sudden, uneven movements of the air that make a plane shake or bump during a flight.

In Turkish: türbülans

How it is used

Pilots announce "We're expecting some turbulence" and switch on the seat belt sign. It is described as light, moderate or severe, and passengers say the flight was bumpy. Cabin service may stop until it passes.

Example sentences

  1. We hit some turbulence over the Alps, but it only lasted a few minutes.

  2. Due to turbulence, the hot drinks service has been suspended.

Common collocations

  • light turbulence
  • severe turbulence
  • hit turbulence
  • experience turbulence
  • bumpy flight
  • seat beltA strap fixed to a seat that you fasten across your body to keep you safe in a plane, car or bus.
  • flight attendantA member of the cabin crew who looks after passengers' safety and comfort on a plane, serves food and drinks and helps in emergencies.
  • take offOf a plane: to leave the ground and start flying at the beginning of a flight.
  • landOf a plane or its passengers: to arrive on the ground at the end of a flight.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Boarding & On the Plane

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