Twelve people have been injured, including eight taken to hospital, as a Qatar Airways plane flying from Doha to Dublin hit turbulence, airport authorities say.
Dublin Airport said in a statement that flight QR017, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, landed safely as scheduled before 1pm on Sunday (10pm AEST).
The airport said upon landing the aircraft was met by emergency services, including airport police and the fire and rescue department, “due to six passengers and six crew … reporting injuries after the aircraft experienced turbulence while airborne over Turkey”.
The airport said all passengers were assessed for injuries aboard the plane, and eight were then taken to hospital.
Qatar Airways said in a statement that “a small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention”.
“The matter is now subject to an internal investigation,” the airline said.
While turbulence-related fatalities are rare, injuries have piled up over the years.
Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.
