An Air India flight from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi was rocked by turbulence on Tuesday and 14 people were injured after it took off at an unfavourable altitude. Despite the mid-air scare, the flight landed safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), where emergency medical personnel were ready to assist the affected passengers and crew members.
The incident happened on Air India flight AI2379 with VT-EXO. The flight was scheduled to arrive in New Delhi at 11:15 am IST. Initial observations are that the passenger plane was turbulent as it was cruising at altitude, and the plane dropped off approximately 300 feet.
The sudden change in altitude was probably due to turbulence or a strong updraft and downdraft system during a flight, the flight attendants told us. Such weather-related phenomena can sometimes cause sudden aircraft movements, even when pilots have weather radar and forecasting systems available to avoid severe weather.
The passengers and crew were injured in the unexpected movement inside the cabin. It was initially reported that one cabin crew member had serious injuries, while a variety of passengers were injured, with no serious injuries, but airport authorities later said about 10 passengers and four cabin crew members had been hurt.
The turbulence could be seen as very tense onboard as the aircraft dropped. The injuries in turbulence are most common when passengers or crew members are not seated or are moving around the cabin when the air is suddenly disturbed, flight safety experts say. Even brief elevation changes can cause an injury if there are no seat belts on board.
The flight crew, because they realised the situation, immediately notified Delhi airport authorities of the situation while the plane was still on its way to Delhi. This allowed airport officials to activate emergency response processes and keep medical personnel at the airport prior to the aircraft arriving.
The flight landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport, and no more injuries happened. When the plane touched down, the passengers and crew were evacuated normally, and those who sustained injuries were taken to the airport’s medical facility. Medical personnel examined and treated people who were injured, and cared for them when necessary.
Air India confirmed the incident and gave details. The airline stated that flight AI2379, from Phuket to Delhi (4 August), encountered turbulence during cruise and had a momentary change in altitude.
Air India wrote that the aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew members walked out of the aircraft without incident. The airline also sought to reassure travellers by saying there were no serious injuries at the time of the statement.
“There are no serious injuries as of now,” he said. “Some passengers and crew members with minor injuries that require medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel,” said an airline official.
The incident signals that turbulence-related problems are growing more severe worldwide. Climate change and atmospheric conditions can lead to more frequent turbulence, and it is said that the turbulence causes airlines to ensure that passengers sit down and keep their seat belts fastened even when there is no seat belt sign on.
While the flight from Air India was certainly terrifying at times during its flight, the smooth landing and quick response of the airline and airport authorities helped ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on board. The turbulence incident is to be investigated, and standard operational reviews will be done to better understand the reason for the turbulence encounter.
