Twelve Injured as Qatar Airways Flight from Doha to Dublin Encounters Turbulence

Qatar Airways

At least a dozen people were injured when a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin encountered turbulence over Turkey, according to Dublin airport authorities. The injured included six passengers and six crew members on flight QR017, which landed safely at Dublin Airport just before 1 PM (12:00 GMT) on Sunday. Emergency services, including airport police and fire and rescue teams, were present upon landing to assess all passengers for injuries. Eight of the injured passengers were subsequently taken to a hospital in Dublin, Republic of Ireland.

Qatar Airways confirmed the safe landing of the Boeing B787-9 aircraft and noted that the injured individuals were receiving medical attention. The airline announced that an internal investigation into the incident is underway.

This turbulence incident follows a severe case earlier in the week involving a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight, where a British passenger died, and many others were injured. The SIA flight made an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand, with 20 people still in intensive care due to spinal cord, brain, and skull injuries. In response, Singapore Airlines has implemented stricter measures during turbulence, including suspending meal services when the seat belt sign is on and ensuring that cabin crew secure all loose items and equipment.

Although air travel injuries are rare, with only 163 injuries requiring hospitalization in the US between 2009 and 2022 according to the Federal Aviation Administration, and no turbulence-related deaths on large-body aircraft reported by the National Transportation Safety Board during that period, experts caution that climate change could increase turbulence severity due to rising temperatures and higher wind speeds.