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.

Washington:

Airplane turbulence, which led to the death of a passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday, is a complex phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common due to climate change, according to experts.

Storms, cold and warm fronts, and the movement of air around mountains can all cause turbulence in the air that planes fly through.

Turbulence can also occur in jet streams — highways of strong wind that circulate around the globe at certain latitudes.

“While meteorologists have excellent tools to forecast turbulence, they are not perfect,” said Thomas Guinn, professor in the aviation department at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.

He added that airplane passengers should make sure they are wearing seat belts, which makes injuries far less likely.

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Initial reports suggest the Singapore Airlines flight, in which more than 70 passengers were injured, may have hit clear-air turbulence, “which is the most dangerous type of turbulence,” according to the Association of Flight Attendants.

Clear-air turbulence is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “sudden severe turbulence occurring in cloudless regions that causes violent buffeting of aircraft.”

It is “especially troublesome because it is often encountered unexpectedly and frequently without visual clues to warn pilots of the hazard,” the FAA says in a document on its website.

The agency says clear-air turbulence is typically found close to jet streams and associated with wind shear — sudden changes in the speed or direction of the wind.

Turbulence continues to be a major cause of accidents and injuries despite a steady improvement in aviation accident rates, according to a 2021 report by the US National Transportation Safety Board.

But deaths linked to turbulence on commercial flights are “very rare,” said Dr Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading. 

“As far as I am aware there has not been a turbulence fatality on a commercial flight since 2009,” Williams said in a statement shared with AFP.

Williams said that climate change is increasing the frequency of airplane turbulence.

“For clear-air turbulence, climate change is increasing the temperature difference across the jet stream between the cold poles and the warm tropics,” he said.

“The tropics are warming faster than the poles at flight cruising altitudes. This effect is increasing wind shear in the jet stream, which is generating more turbulence,” Williams said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Representatives of the British embassy visit the Samitivej Hospital where injured passengers and crew of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 were transferred following an emergency landing, in Bangkok Thailand on May 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Singapore Airlines on May 22 said it is fully cooperating with relevant authorities in the investigation into the London to Singapore flight which encountered severe turbulence, leading to the death of one passenger and injuring 30 others.

Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British passenger, died likely due to a heart attack on the flight, said Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, to where the SIA flight was on Tuesday diverted under emergency.

As many as 30 passengers have been receiving treatment for their injuries in hospitals in Bangkok after the Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on May 20 encountered “sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure”.

The remaining passengers aboard the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft carrying 229 people were examined and treated at the airport, the carrier said.

SIA is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities in probing this incident, SIA Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said.

The nationalities of the passengers are as follows: 56 from Australia, three Indians, two from Canada, one from Germany, two Indonesians, one from Iceland, four from Ireland, one from Israel, 16 from Malaysia, two from Myanmar, 23 from New Zealand, five from the Philippines, 41 Singaporeans, one South Korean, two from Spain, 47 from the United Kingdom, and four from the U.S.

The carrier confirmed that 131 passengers and 12 crew members, who arrived in Singapore via a relief flight on May 22, were received at Changi Airport by Mr. Goh.

Transportation to their homes or hotel accommodation has been arranged for passengers travelling to Singapore.

Another 79 passengers and six crew members, including those receiving medical care, as well as, their family members and loved ones who were on the flight, remain in Bangkok.

“For passengers with onward connections, we have rebooked them on alternative flights. We have also arranged hotel accommodation or lounge access for them to rest until their next flight,” Singapore’s flag carrier said.

“A dedicated SIA team from Singapore is in Bangkok to assist our colleagues and the local authorities. We are providing all possible support to the passengers and crew from SQ321 who remain in Bangkok,” said the airline.

“On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased passenger. We also deeply apologise for the trauma experienced by all passengers and crew members on this flight,” Goh said.

“We are providing all possible assistance and support to them, along with their families and loved ones, during this difficult time. The well-being of our passengers and staff is our utmost priority,” he added.

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing extended its condolences to the family of the British national who died aboard SQ321, a Boeing 777-300ER.

“We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said on X.

New Delhi:

Singapore Airlines CEO on Wednesday issued a public apology after one passenger died and 30 others were injured due to severe turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore.

In a video message, Goh Choon Phong said that they were “very sorry for the traumatic experience” that everyone on board the flight, SQ321, went through on Tuesday.

A Singapore Airlines flight, operating from London to Singapore, encountered sudden extreme turbulence at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The Boeing 777-300ER plane was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.

ALSO READ | 3 Indians Among 229 Aboard Singapore Airlines Flight Hit By ‘Sudden Extreme Turbulence’

“On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through,” Mr Phong said.

He said that Singapore Airlines is committed to providing all necessary support and assistance to the passengers and crew members who were on board SQ321. He also said that they are also “fully cooperating” with the relevant authorities on the investigations.

Mr Phong said that a relief flight with 143 of the SQ321 passengers and crew members, who were able to travel, arrived in Singapore this morning. Another 79 passengers and six crew members from SQ321, including those receiving medical care and their family members who were on the flight, remain in Bangkok, he said.

“Please be assured that Singapore Airlines is here to help and support you during this difficult time,” Mr Phong said.

Horror On Singapore Airlines Flight

Singapore Airlines said that its flight, which took off from Heathrow Airport in London on Monday and was headed to Singapore, “encountered severe turbulence” en route.

The flight fell into an air pocket while the cabin crew was serving breakfast before it encountered turbulence, prompting the pilots to request an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where it landed at 3.45 pm (local time) on Tuesday.

ALSO READ | “People Flung Into Lockers”: Singapore Flight Passenger Recounts Horror

The airline said that the sudden turbulence occurred over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar about 10 hours into the flight.

Photographs from the interior of the plane showed large gashes in the overhead cabin panels, gas masks, and panels hanging from the ceiling.

A passenger said that some people’s heads had slammed into the lights above the seats and punctured the panels during the turbulence.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn said that a 73-year-old British man died during the incident, likely due to a heart attack. Seven people were critically injured, some with head injuries, he told a press conference.

The interior of Singapore Airline flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, May 21, 2024. One passenger died and 30 others were injured after the plane hit severe turbulence.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Turbulence-related incidents are common, but fatal incidents are rare. What should you do when there is air turbulence?

One passenger died of a suspected heart attack and 30 others were injured after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore hit severe turbulence on May 21, forcing the Boeing 777-300ER jet to divert to Bangkok, authorities said.

What is turbulence?

Turbulence or pockets of disturbed air can have many causes, most obviously the unstable weather patterns that trigger storms, according to an industry briefing by planemaker Airbus. The resulting water particles can be detected by weather radar.

Singapore Airlines did not immediately say what type of turbulence was involved. Tracking service FlightRadar24 said there were storms — some severe — in the area at the time.

What is clean air turbulence?

Known by its abbreviation CAT, this is a sudden and severe swirl that causes violent buffeting of a plane even where there are no clouds, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Such invisible pockets of air can appear without warning, and are hard to predict.

Mark Prosser of the University of Reading said the May 21 event most likely involved convective or storm-related turbulence, but stressed it was too early to be certain. An investigation has been launched and experts stress aircraft accidents typically involve a combination of factors.

How common is it?

Turbulence-related incidents are common, according to a 2021 study by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. From 2009 through 2018, it found that turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported events and most resulted in one or more serious injuries, but no aircraft damage. Yet fatal turbulence in air travel remains extremely rare.

“It is a very unusual and rare event. As far as I can tell it is over 25 years since a passenger was killed by commercial airliner turbulence,” said Paul Hayes, director of safety at UK-based aviation data group Cirium Ascend.

The last fatal turbulence-related accident on Cirium’s database involved a United Airlines Boeing 747 in 1997.

How do pilots respond?

Crews plan by studying turbulence and other weather forecasts, which have improved over the years, loading extra fuel when needed and monitoring weather radar during flight.

But sometimes violent CAT leaves little time to react. “If it’s unexpected then it’s a bit late. You hope to get warnings from other aircraft in the area and slow down to make sure the effects are minimised,” said retired pilot Hugh Dibley, an expert on aircraft upsets at the Royal Aeronautical Society.

How do planes react to air turbulence?

In terms of their structure, all modern commercial jets are built to cope with forces many times those experienced in-flight, Mr. Hayes said.

But according to Swedish turbulence-forecasting website Turbli, the feeling experienced by passengers varies from plane to plane and seat to seat.

Long planes can feel most turbulent at the back and the ideal spot is around the centre of gravity, which is typically just ahead of the wings.

Boeing’s high-tech 787-9, with a “Gust Alleviation System” from Honeywell, ranks first for handling turbulence, according to Turbli. Next is the Airbus A340-500/600, though the four-engined model is no longer widely used due to fuel costs.

The Boeing 777 family is widely seen as having a strong safety record — excluding Malaysia Airlines MH17 which was downed by a missile over Ukraine and the mystery disappearance of MH370, both in 2014. It is equipped with traditional weather radar but does not have the newer 787’s alleviation system.

Is climate change causing more turbulence?

A spate of turbulence reports has triggered a debate over whether climate change may be causing more turbulence.

A report from the University of Reading last year suggested turbulence could worsen with climate change. “Our latest future projections indicate a doubling or trebling of severe turbulence in the jet streams in the coming decades if the climate continues to change as we expect,” said Professor Paul Williams, one of the authors.

However, he told Fox News that while there seems to be a strong correlation, more research is needed. “It’s too early to definitively blame climate change for the recent apparent increases in turbulence. Increased media coverage, aided by in-flight video footage from passengers’ mobile phones, may well be a factor,” he added.

Is there any new technology to detect clear-air turbulence?

NASA says it is developing an early-warning system that relies on ground-mounted infrasonic microphones to detect clear-air turbulence hundreds of kilometers away.

Austria-based tech startup Turbulence Solutions says it is developing technologies to eliminate up to 80% of turbulence.

But industry experts caution any new aircraft systems must be proven to work to a high level of reliability and it takes years of rigorous testing before technology can be validated. Airlines must usually agree to foot the bill for any upgrades.

What should you do?

U.S. airline pilot and flight attendant unions told Reuters the incident highlights the importance of following crew instructions and wearing seatbelt whenever seated.

But they cautioned that leaving the seatbelt sign on all the time could erode its significance and that passengers could start ignoring it.

Among the most exposed to injury are crew who must tour the cabin to check seatbelts have been fastened when signs go on.

Representational file image.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Singapore Airlines flight from London made an emergency landing in Bangkok on May 21 due to severe turbulence, the airline said, with one passengers on board dead and injuries reported.

Singapore Airlines did not say how many people were injured. Multiple Thai media reports said there were 30 injuries.

The Boeing 777-300ER plane with 211 passengers and 18 crew was headed to Singapore when it made the emergency landing, the airline said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport said that medical team was on standby.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline said.

“We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance.”

Representational file image.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Singapore Airlines flight from London made an emergency landing in Bangkok on May 21 due to severe turbulence, the airline said, with one passengers on board dead and injuries reported.

Singapore Airlines did not say how many people were injured. Multiple Thai media reports said there were 30 injuries.

The Boeing 777-300ER plane with 211 passengers and 18 crew was headed to Singapore when it made the emergency landing, the airline said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport said that medical team was on standby.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline said.

“We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance.”

Singapore Airlines has recently announced that it would reward its employees with a bonus worth eight months of salary, as per a report in CNN. The company said on Wednesday that it made a record-breaking $1.98 billion in net profit for the fiscal year 2023-2024. According to the airline’s financial statement, “the demand for air travel remained buoyant” throughout the year, helped by a recovery in North Asia as China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan completely reopened their borders following the epidemic.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards last year awarded the Singapore carrier the best airline in the world. Notably, the airline has won the highest prize in the awards’ 23-year history for the sixth time.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong stated that the award was the hard work of the team who made “many sacrifices to ensure that SIA was ready for the recovery in air travel.” He said, “That has allowed us to emerge stronger and fitter from the pandemic.”

Meanwhile, the Emirates Group declared record-breaking profits recently and gave its workers bonuses equal to 20 weeks’ worth of pay. The compensation will be given to group members together with their May paycheck.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, thanked the Emirates Group staff for their “heroic efforts” in an email obtained by Khaleej Times. In his letter, he praised their commitment, “for powering our collective ambitions and for achieving them, you deserve every dirham of the 20-week profit share.”

With notable profit and sales improvements for Emirate and Dnata in the last year, the group’s overall employment increased by 10% to 112,406, marking its greatest workforce to date. The workers represent more than 170 different nationalities and are dispersed throughout 84 countries.