Several people were reportedly injured after a flight from Thailand encountered turbulence on its way to India, leading to a sudden drop in altitude.
The Air India aircraft from Phuket to Delhi encountered turbulence during its descent. The flight landed safely at 11am.
While Air India didn’t disclose how many people were injured, local media put their number at two crew members and 10 passengers, all of whom were taken to a medical facility at the airport.
“Air India confirms that flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi on 4 August, experienced a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude,” an airline spokesperson said.
“The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew have safely disembarked.”
Images from the airport showed ambulances stationed at the terminal gate and several people being assisted out in wheelchairs, some with bandages on their heads.
According to the tracking platform Flightradar24, the plane lost altitude sometime before landing in the Indian capital.
The airline said no serious injuries were reported. “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.”
Affirming that the safety and wellbeing of passengers was its top priority, Air India said it was “providing all necessary support to those affected and are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as part of the investigation”.
Describing the ordeal, a passenger who wasn’t named told local news agency ANI: “The flight had been in the air for about an hour and a half. It was early in the morning, and we were sleeping. Suddenly, the aircraft tilted and kept moving like that for around two to three minutes.”
The passenger said that several people, including a baby, were injured.
“Nearly 15 to 20 passengers have been injured. Someone’s baby got hurt. My lower back was hurt. My brother was hurt on his shoulder and back,” the passenger said.
“We’ll know more once the medico-legal report is prepared.”
Turbulence is a fairly common occurrence in aviation. Data from the International Civil Aviation Organisation shows that about 40 per cent of the severe injuries suffered by flyers in 2023 were caused by turbulence.
