Guwahati: Fourteen people, including 10 passengers and four crew members, were injured after an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi encountered severe turbulence during cruise on Tuesday, officials said.
The Airbus A320 aircraft, operating as flight AI2379, landed safely at Delhi airport around 11 a.m. Flight tracking data showed that the aircraft, registered as VT-EXO, had departed Phuket at 8.41 a.m. local time.
Sources said the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude of about 300 feet during the turbulence.
The injured were taken to the airport’s medical centre for assessment, sources said.
A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official said the pilot reported a “severe injury” to one cabin crew member. The aviation regulator has initiated an investigation into the incident.
In a statement, Air India said the aircraft experienced “a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude”.
“The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew have safely disembarked,” an airline spokesperson said.
“There have been no serious injuries as of now. A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring 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. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain Air India’s highest priority,” the spokesperson added.
The airline said it was cooperating with the relevant authorities in the investigation.
One passenger said that the turbulence struck about an hour and a half after take-off.
“It had been an hour-and-a-half since the flight took off. We were sleeping when suddenly the plane rocked for two to three minutes,” the passenger said.
The daughter of one of the injured passengers said the turbulence began without warning.
“The aircraft seemed to be moving normally but suddenly the turbulence began. I saw my sister thrown into the air from her seat. My mother was hit on the head. People sitting behind me suffered injuries. A male passenger had blood on his face. We thought we would die. It was really scary,” she said.
Turbulence is a common occurrence in aviation and can be caused by weather systems, strong air currents or jet streams. While it is experienced by flights worldwide on a regular basis, serious injuries are relatively uncommon.