Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Italian aviation authorities investigate after turbulence injures two easyJet flight attendants

Italian authorities have launched an investigation after two easyJet flight attendants were injured when their flight from Corfu to London’s Gatwick Airport was buffeted by turbulence earlier this week

Via AP news wire
Thursday 22 August 2024 15:49 BST
Britain-Aircraft Turbulence
Britain-Aircraft Turbulence

Your support helps us to tell the story

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Head shot of Andrew Feinberg

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Italian authorities have launched an investigation after two easyJet flight attendants were injured when their flight from Corfu to London’s Gatwick Airport was buffeted by turbulence earlier this week.

As a result of the incident, the pilot made an unscheduled landing at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at 1:48 p.m. on Monday. The two crew members received medical treatment in Rome, and the passengers completed their journey on a replacement aircraft, easyJet said in a statement.

Italy’s civil aviation authority opened a safety investigation into the incident, which it classified as an accident due to “the type and severity of the injuries reported.” While neither the agency nor easyJet released details of the injuries, news reports indicated that one flight attendant broke her leg and another had a severely sprained ankle.

The incident comes less than three months after a 73-year-old British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of other passengers were injured when a Singapore Airlines flight ran into severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean.

While turbulence-related deaths are rare, injuries have piled up in recent years, with some meteorologists and aviation analysts noting that reports of aircraft encountering turbulence have also increased.

Meteorologists point to the impact of climate change, which increases the difference in temperature between the warm and cold air masses in the upper atmosphere that together form the jet stream of air flowing from east to west around the globe. These air masses collide and unsettle the jet stream, generating greater turbulence.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in