Twelve injured on Doha-Dublin flight

Twelve people have been injured due to turbulence on a flight from Doha to Dublin.

The Boeing 787-9 dreamliner experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey, the operator of Dublin Airport, the DAA, said.

Upon landing shortly before 13:00 local time, Qatar Airways flight QR017 was met by emergency services including airport police, ambulance and fire officers.

Six passengers and six crew members have reported injuries – of these, eight people have been taken to hospital.

“The Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance on the ground to passengers and airline staff,” a DAA spokesperson said.

Operations at the airport are unaffected, the DAA added, and the return flight is scheduled to operate as normal this afternoon, “albeit with a delay”.

The National Ambulance Service said it received a pre-alert to attend the airport and is “currently on site facilitating and supporting the disembarkment of passengers”.

Qatar Airways told BBC News NI in a statement that “a small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention”.

It added: “The matter is now subject to an internal investigation.”

Passengers said the incident was frightening and that the plane seemed to drop out of the air for about 20 seconds during food-and-drinks service.

One, named Cathal, who was travelling home to Ireland from Doha, told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that the seatbelt signs were off during the incident and that his dinner had flown off his lap.

Another, Paul Mocc, said he saw people hitting the roof, with food and drink going everywhere.

Mr Mocc said he saw crew members limping, some with bandages on.

He described seeing a passenger on oxygen with suspected back injuries who had been placed lying down.

Emma and Conor were travelling back from Thailand.

Conor said he felt the plane drop and a flight attendant went “up in the air”.

Emma said she was asleep when the plane hit turbulence but described seeing a “look of panic on everyone’s faces” when she was woken.

She added that flight attendants had scratches on their faces and one had their arm in a sling afterwards.

Another passenger, Eileen, said it was the “worst experience” she ever had on a plane.

Her partner Tony said he had had to hold her down as she had not been wearing her seatbelt and had been asleep when the aircraft hit turbulence.

“I am not in a hurry to get back on a plane I can tell you,” Eileen said.

The incident follows the death of a 73-year-old British man on a Singapore-bound flight which experienced severe turbulence earlier this week.

More than 100 people were injured, 20 of whom are in intensive care with spinal injuries.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong apologised, offering his “deepest apologies to everyone affected” by the “sudden extreme turbulence”.

Singapore’s government has promised a thorough investigation.