Thirty-one passengers and one crew member were injured yesterday after a flight from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta encountered severe turbulence.
Nine passengers and the crew member were taken to hospital after Etihad Airways flight EY474 hit unexpected turbulence about 45 minutes before arrival at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, the airline said.
The Airbus A330-200 landed safely and passengers were met by medical assistance teams as they disembarked. Twenty-two were treated for minor injuries by paramedics at the airport. The airline did not reveal the severity of the injuries.
Etihad cancelled Wednesday’s return flight EY475 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi and sent a support team from Abu Dhabi. Passengers scheduled to travel on that flight were rebooked on alternate flights or provided hotel accommodation, an Etihad spokesman said.
The turbulence also caused some damage to cabin storage areas. Passengers onboard who spoke to Jakarta-based news website Okezone said oxygen masks tumbled out during the turbulence and passengers, including Muslim pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia, were hurt.
“It happened when I was performing [prayers],” passenger Nenden Nurhaini told the website. “The plane suddenly began to shake so fast.”
Photos shared online by passengers appeared to show cracks on overhead luggage compartments. Panels had also come off their hinges.
Passengers belongings were thrown across the plane and accumulated in the aisle areas.
Members of Indonesia’s national transportation safety committee inspected the plane after its landing.
It is unclear when flight EY475 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi will resume its service.
Founded in 2003, Etihad has a good safety record and last year carried 17.6 million passengers. It holds stakes in several other airlines, including Air Berlin, Alitalia and Virgin Australia.
Turbulence often occurs unexpectedly and is caused by conditions such as atmospheric pressure, jet streams, air around mountains, cold or warm weather fronts and thunderstorms.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration in the US, it is the leading cause of injuries to airline passengers and flight attendants in non-fatal accidents.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae
