An Air India flight from Delhi to Sydney faced turbulence on the way, severe enough for some passengers to reportedly sustain minor injuries. The carrier operates this long-haul non-stop service daily and according to latest reports, no hospitalization was required upon landing.
Turbulence results in injuries
On May 17th, Air India flight AI 302 encountered turbulence that resulted in some passengers getting injured. India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), says that a few passengers received “minor sprain.” An official was quoted as saying,
“During the flight, seven passengers reported minor sprain. Cabin crew provided first aid with the assistance of a doctor and a nurse travelling as passengers, using an onboard first aid kit.”
Air India’s airport manager in Sydney had arranged all the necessary medical assistance for such a situation, and three passengers took it upon landing. Thankfully, nobody required hospitalization. More details about the incident will likely emerge soon, with an official statement from Air India still awaited.
Flight and aircraft
Air India flight AI 302 is a daily service between Delhi and Sydney with a departure time of 14:20 and an arrival of 07:10 local time the following day. The flight in question took off on May 16th at 14:42 and reached Sydney at 06:48 the next day after flying for a little over eleven and a half hours.
Air India uses its Boeing 787 Dreamliner for this service, and the aircraft involved in the incident bears the registration VT-ANY. The aircraft is nearly six years old and was delivered to Air India in July 2017. Per ch-aviation, it has flown for 22,741 hours as of February 2023 across 3,474 flight cycles. Air India has 27 Dreamliners in its fleet, with 20 more on order from Boeing.
Turbulence
Most turbulence encountered during flights is largely non-threatening, but every now and then, there are cases resulting in passenger injuries and even diversions. The most recent of such incidents took place on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Denpasar in Indonesia.
The Boeing 777 aircraft faced severe turbulence at 37,000 feet over the Bay of Bengal, leaving several passengers injured. It was severe enough for the plane to divert to Bangkok roughly half an hour after the incident.
In 2023 alone, there have been several incidents of aircraft facing severe turbulence, resulting in onboard injuries. Many are now wondering if there is a specific reason for flights getting bumpier than ever.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Simple Flying recently examined this issue, considering climate change as a possible reason. Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in England, says that “clear air turbulence” is becoming more frequent due to climate change.
He observed that since satellites began observing in 1979, the amount of wind shear has grown by 15%. Findings also indicate that clear-air turbulence in the middle of the Northern Hemisphere could triple in the next three to six decades, depending on the levels of greenhouse emissions in the future.
What are your views on this? Please leave your comments below.
-
Air India
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- AI/AIC
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1946
- Alliance:
- Star Alliance
- CEO:
- Campbell Wilson
- Country:
- India
