An Air India Airbus A320, operating flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi, encountered severe mid-air turbulence on Tuesday morning, causing the aircraft to suddenly lose approximately 300 feet in altitude. Passengers and crew experienced terrifying moments, with an Italian passenger describing the incident as "really scary."
Viviana, one of the passengers, shared her harrowing account with news agency ANI. "The aircraft seemed to be moving normally, but suddenly the turbulence began," she recalled. She witnessed her sister being thrown from her seat and her mother suffering a blow to the head. "People sitting behind me suffered injuries... A male passenger had blood on his face. We thought we would die. It was really scary. I was shaking and crying. It was horrible," Viviana added, noting she was still experiencing hearing issues after the ordeal.
The flight, carrying 137 passengers (including three infants) and eight crew members (two pilots and six cabin crew), landed safely at Delhi airport around 11:30 am despite the dramatic mid-air event.
Sources indicated that at least 15 individuals sustained injuries, comprising 11 passengers and four cabin crew members. All injured parties were transported to hospitals for medical treatment and assessment. A senior official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) confirmed that one cabin crew member suffered severe injuries, another had lesser injuries, and several passengers sustained minor injuries.
Air India issued a statement acknowledging a "brief turbulence-related event" that led to a "momentary change in altitude." The airline emphasized that the aircraft landed safely and all occupants disembarked normally. Air India stated there were no reports of serious injuries, but a small number of passengers and crew with minor injuries were taken for precautionary medical examination and care. The airline affirmed its commitment to providing support to those affected and cooperating fully with authorities.
The aviation regulator, DGCA, has launched an investigation into the incident. While pilots routinely advise passengers about potential turbulence, incidents resulting in injuries to passengers and crew are considered rare but serious.
This event follows other significant turbulence incidents globally, including a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore in May 2024, which resulted in one fatality and numerous injuries, and a SpiceJet flight from Mumbai to Durgapur in May 2022, where one passenger died and several others were injured due to severe turbulence.