An Air India Airbus A320 encountered significant turbulence while traveling from Phuket to Delhi on Tuesday, resulting in injuries to 13 passengers and four crew members before landing safely.
An Air India flight operating between Phuket and Delhi encountered severe turbulence mid-flight on Tuesday, affecting multiple people on board. The Airbus A320 aircraft, registered as VT-EXO, experienced a sudden loss of altitude of approximately 300 feet during the incident. The flight departed Phuket at 8:41 AM local time and landed safely in Delhi at 11 AM, according to flight tracking data.
The turbulence resulted in injuries to 17 individuals aboard the aircraft—13 passengers and four crew members. Following the landing, the injured were transported to the airport's medical centre for assessment and treatment. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India's aviation regulator, has launched an investigation into the incident. An official from the authority noted that the pilot reported a severe injury affecting one cabin crew member, though Air India's statement characterised the injuries as minor.
Air India confirmed the incident in a statement, describing it as "a brief in-flight turbulence-related event during cruise, resulting in a momentary change in altitude." The airline emphasised that all passengers and crew disembarked safely and stated that those requiring medical evaluation were taken to the airport facility for precautionary examination. The carrier reiterated that passenger and crew safety remains its primary concern. The discrepancy between the regulator's mention of a severe injury and the airline's characterisation of injuries as minor reflects differing assessments of the incident's severity.
