LONDON – Twelve people were injured when a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin on Sunday hit turbulence, airport authorities said. Eight of the injured were hospitalized.
Dublin Airport said in a statement that flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely as scheduled before 1 p.m. (1200 GMT).
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It said that upon landing the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and the fire and rescue department, "due to six passengers and six crew … reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey.”
The airport said all passengers were assessed for injuries aboard the plane, and eight were then taken to hospital.
Passenger Paul Mocc told Irish broadcaster RTE that he saw "people hitting the roof” and food and drink flying everywhere.
Another traveler, Emma Rose Power, told RTE that after the turbulence, "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 said in a statement that “a small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention.”
It said “the matter is now subject to an internal investigation.”
The incident comes five days after a British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of people were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight from London hit severe turbulence.
While turbulence-related fatalities are rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.