Travelers once more suffer harm due to intense air pockets.
Recently, two incidents involving harm to passengers due to air turbulence have occurred, raising concerns about their frequency. Firstly, a Qatar Airways flight en route to Dublin from Doha faced such an issue, resulting in twelve injuries ranging from passengers to crew members.
Specifically, this incident took place on Sunday, with the airline stating that there were six passengers and six crew members among those hurt. Eight of these individuals required hospitalization upon landing at Dublin International Airport; fortunately, Qatar Airways reported these injuries as minor. To provide further context, the airline shared that the plane made a safe and timely landing at 1:00 p.m. in the Irish capital (2:00 p.m. CEST) and that essential services like police, fire, and rescue teams were ready to assist passengers and crew members.
Eyewitnesses reported a sudden drop lasting approximately 20 seconds during a mealtime onboard, causing cabin chaos. A passenger told the Irish network RTE that crew members were even lifted into the air during the episode. Some passengers even experienced panic due to the situation, and foods flew across the cabin.
The second such instance recently involved a British man of 73 years who passed away on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore as a result of strong turbulence on Tuesday. The consequences were even more severe, with about a hundred passengers affected and most experiencing head, brain, and spinal injuries. To address this issue, the airline has since revised their seatbelt regulations.
Concerningly, these turbulence incidents are potentially connected to climate change, as experts believe clear-air turbulence - an undetectable force by onboard radar - is becoming more common.
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In response to the incident, Qatar Airways has reinforced their safety measures for flights over international routes, especially to Dublin. Moreover, the aviation industry as a whole is investigating the potential link between climate change and the increase in clear-air turbulence, which could exacerbate such incidents among airlines like Qatar Airways.
Source: www.ntv.de
