A Doha-Dublin flight experienced turbulence. (Representational)
Twelve people – including six crew members – were injured after a Qatar Airways plane was hit by turbulence during its flight from Doha to Dublin today, five days after a passenger was killed and dozens injured on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore.
A post by Dublin Airport on X (formerly Twitter) confirmed that six passengers and six crew members were injured after the aircraft experienced turbulence while it was flying over Turkey.
“Qatar Airways flight QR017 from Doha landed safely as scheduled at Dublin Airport shortly before 13.00 on Sunday. 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,” it said in a statement.
13.30 update: ✈️
Qatar Airways flight QR017 from Doha landed safely as scheduled at Dublin Airport shortly before 13.00 on Sunday. Upon landing, the aircraft was met by emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, due to 6 passengers and 6… pic.twitter.com/nB2F4BOcI5
— Dublin Airport (@DublinAirport) May 26, 2024
The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline staff, it added.
Singapore Airlines Flight Chaos
The Singapore Airlines flight carrying 211 passengers 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. Passengers and crew on the flight sustained skull, brain, and spine injuries as they were tossed violently around the cabin.
Videos and photos taken inside the plane showed the cabin in chaos with food and luggage scattered everywhere and oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.
Singapore’s transport minister said that investigators are analysing a cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder. Flight tracking data shows the Boeing 777-300ER plunged 1,800 metres (6,000 feet) in just a few minutes, with passengers saying it happened so suddenly there was no time for many to fasten their seatbelts.
After the incident, Singapore Airlines has tightened seatbelt rules on its flights and introduced a “more cautious approach” to turbulence.
Turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type, according to a 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board. Experts say that passengers are often too casual about wearing seatbelts, leaving them at risk if the plane hits unexpected turbulence.
The US agency found that turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported airline accidents from 2009 through 2018, and most resulted in one or more serious injuries, but no aircraft damage.