Twelve people have been injured, including eight taken to hospital, after a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland hit turbulence, Dublin Airport says.
Flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely and as scheduled before 1pm local time on Sunday, the airport said.
“Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, due to 6 passengers and 6 crew [12 total] on board reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey,” Dublin Airport said in a statement.
“All passengers were assessed for injury prior to disembarking the aircraft. Eight passengers were subsequently taken to hospital.”
Irish broadcaster RTÉ said the incident lasted less than 20 seconds and occurred during meal service.
Passenger Paul Mocc told RTÉ that he saw “people hitting the roof”, and food and drinks flying everywhere.
Another traveller, Emma Rose Power, told RTÉ that after the turbulence, “some of the flight attendants I saw, they had scratches on their face, they had ice to their face. There was one girl that had a sling on her arm”.
Qatar Airways said in a statement that a “small number” of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries during the flight and were receiving medical attention.
The airline did not directly comment on the turbulence but said the matter is subject to an internal investigation.
“The safety and security of our passengers and crew are our top priority,” it said.
The incident took place five days after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore was forced to land in Bangkok due to severe turbulence, which killed a 73-year-old British man and left 20 others in intensive care.
Turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type, according to a 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board.
From 2009 through 2018, the US agency found that turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported airline accidents and most resulted in one or more serious injuries, but no aircraft damage.
Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.
Reuters/AP
