At least two injured after turbulence hits easyJet flight from Corfu to London forcing emergency landing in Italy
21 August 2024, 10:26 | Updated: 21 August 2024, 10:47
At least two people have been injured after turbulence hit an easyJet flight from Corfu to London Gatwick, forcing an emergency landing.
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The plane, which had 181 passengers and crew on board, left Corfu Airport in Greece at 12:44pm local time on Monday.
But just 20 minutes into the flight, turbulence hit the aircraft, causing two members of the cabin crew to smash against the plane walls.
Both crew members sustained injuries, resulting in the pilots deciding to perform an emergency landing at Fiumicino airport in Rome.
The incident comes after extreme weather conditions also caused a superyacht to sink off the Sicilian coast earlier in the week.
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An easyJet spokeswoman said in a statement: "The flight on August 19 experienced turbulence which unfortunately injured two cabin crew members.
"As a result, the captain decided to divert the flight to Rome, where the flight attendants received medical assistance.
"The safety and well-being of our customers and crew are easyJet's top priority, and our pilots are trained to manage turbulence."
Italian air safety agency ANSV has launched an investigation into the incident to work out if the turbulence was an unforeseeable event - known as "clear air turbulence" - or if it was visible on the weather radar but underestimated.
"Given the type and severity of the injuries reported, we have initiated a safety investigation, classifying the event as an 'accident'," a statement said.
The agency added that it will also look into why the pilots chose to divert to Rome instead of heading to Bari or Brindisi which were closer.
