Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Hits Severe Turbulence, 17 Injured

An Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi encountered severe turbulence on Tuesday, leaving 17 people, including 13 passengers and four crew members, injured after the aircraft experienced a sudden drop in altitude mid-air as per Indian Express.

Flight AI2379 landed safely at Delhi airport, and all passengers and crew members disembarked without further incident. The aircraft briefly lost around 300 feet in altitude during the turbulence, sources said.

The Airbus A320 aircraft, registered as VT-EXO, was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members. It had departed from Phuket at 8:41 am local time and landed in Delhi at around 11 am.

Air India said there were no serious injuries, while passengers and crew members requiring medical attention were taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary assessment.

“A small number of passengers and crew members with minor injuries requiring medical assessment have been taken to a medical facility at the airport for precautionary examination and care by Air India’s airport team and medical personnel,” an Air India spokesperson said.

The airline later said that, as of 6:50 pm, five passengers had been discharged, while the remaining injured passengers and crew members continued to receive treatment and care.

A passenger speaking to ANI said the aircraft suddenly dipped while passengers were resting during the early morning flight. “It had been an hour and a half since the flight. It was early morning. We were sleeping inside the flight. The flight suddenly stopped while moving and turned around…it kept moving like this for 2-3 minutes,” the passenger said, claiming several people were injured during the incident.

Medical Assessment

Earlier in the morning, Seven people from the flight were admitted to Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital in Vasant Kunj for medical evaluation and treatment. The hospital said four crew members and three passengers were brought to its Emergency Department and assessed immediately.

Dr Ujjwal Vaid, Head of the Emergency Department at Fortis Vasant Kunj, said all seven patients were conscious, oriented and had stable vital signs. He said no passenger had suffered a major injury, while three passengers were discharged with oral medication and advice on warning signs requiring emergency attention.

Dr Vaid said one of the four female crew members suffered a spinal fracture, while the remaining patients were being further evaluated. None of the patients had external injuries or open wounds, he added.

Explaining the nature of the injuries, Dr Vaid said the incident appeared to involve compression-type injuries. Passengers and crew members reported that the aircraft suddenly dipped, causing some people to hit the ceiling. While some passengers had their seat belts fastened, others did not. The crew members were wearing seat belts at the time.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has begun an investigation into the incident. A DGCA official said the pilot reported a “severe injury” to one cabin crew member.

The hospital had said that a Code Yellow was activated after the patients were stabilised to ensure a coordinated response and optimal deployment of resources.

"After stabilization, the patients were shifted for the necessary radiological investigations (CT/MRI/X-rays, as clinically indicated) and are now being transferred to their respective inpatient rooms for continued observation and further management," the hospital had said.

The hospital added that a dedicated Air India coordination team was present at the facility and was working with the clinical and administrative teams to assist with patient care, documentation, logistics and communication with the passengers’ families.

Investigation Underway

The airline said it is coordinating with aviation regulators as part of the review into the turbulence-related incident.

"The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain Air India’s highest priority. We are providing all necessary support to those affected and are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities as part of the investigation," the spokesperson added.

( With inputs from agencies)