Twelve Injured as Qatar Airways Flight to Dublin Encounters Turbulence

Dublin Airport reported on Sunday that twelve individuals were injured during a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland due to turbulence. Despite the incident, the plane landed safely and on time.

The flight, designated QR017 and operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, arrived just before 1 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), according to the airport.

Emergency services, including Airport Police and our Fire and Rescue department, met the aircraft upon landing. This was in response to reports of injuries from 6 passengers and 6 crew members, caused by turbulence encountered while flying over Turkey.

Irish broadcaster RTE, quoting passengers at the airport, mentioned that the turbulence lasted less than 20 seconds and occurred during meal service.

Qatar Airways issued a statement acknowledging that a “small number” of passengers and crew members suffered minor injuries and were being treated.

While the airline did not elaborate on the turbulence, it noted that an internal investigation is underway.

This incident occurred five days after a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore had to divert to Bangkok due to severe turbulence, resulting in the death of a 73-year-old British passenger and serious injuries to 20 others.

According to a 2021 study by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, turbulence-related incidents are the most frequent type of airline accidents. From 2009 to 2018, the agency found that turbulence was responsible for more than a third of reported airline accidents, most of which led to serious injuries but no aircraft damage.

Photo credit: PYOK