Airport authorities have reported that a Qatar Airways flight bound for Dublin from Doha encountered turbulence, resulting in twelve injuries and the hospitalisation of eight others.
In an official statement, Dublin Airport confirmed the incident involving flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which landed safely as scheduled before 1 p.m. (1200 GMT).
It said that emergency services including airport police and the fire and rescue department were on stand-by “due to six passengers and six crew … reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey.”
One of the passengers identified as Paul Mocc told reporters that he saw “people hitting the roof” and food and drink flying everywhere.
Another passenger, Emma Rose Power said, “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 has stated that the incident is currently under internal investigation.
While injuries due to turbulence are rare, a British man reportedly passed away from a suspected heart attack, and numerous individuals sustained injuries when a Singapore Airlines flight encountered turbulence.
Meteorologists and aviation analysts have noted an increasing frequency of turbulence reports, highlighting the potential influence of climate change on flying conditions.