Fresh turbulence rankings show Christchurch Airport is actually the most turbulent major airport in New Zealand right now. Yep, not Welly. This is also the second time in a row that Christchurch has come on top.

That’s not to say Wellington gets off lightly. It still cops its fair share of wind-induced shakes thanks to gusts funnelling through Cook Strait and around the hills. But when it comes to average turbulence over time, the numbers lean slightly more in Christchurch’s favour.

The rankings are based on turbulence data tracked by aviation analytics using something called the eddy dissipation rate (EDR). It’s basically how bumpy the air is on average around an airport. Here’s how the scale breaks down:

Light: 0–20 Moderate: 20–40 Strong: 40–60 Severe: 60–80 Extreme: 80–100

Christchurch topped the Australia and New Zealand list with an EDR of 14.992, which still sits firmly in the light range.

Hobart followed closely behind on 14.686.

Wellington came in third with an EDR of 14.106.

Three NZ cities made it to the top 10 most turbulent airports in Oceania, with of course Ōtautahi leading it.

Oceania’s top 10 most turbulent airports:

1. Christchurch

2. Hobart

3. Wellington

4. Brisbane

5. Sydney

6. Melbourne

7. Adelaide

8. Perth

9. Auckland

10. Nuku’alofa

Worth noting, this doesn’t mean any of these airports are dangerous. Most domestic flights still experience light turbulence, as mentioned before.

Anyone else surprised to see Wellington not in the top spot? Cause I definitely was.