18-6-2023 (SINGAPORE) A British Airways flight bound for London had to turn back to Singapore on Friday (Jun 16) after encountering severe turbulence, resulting in injuries to five crew members.
Flight BA12 departed from Changi Airport around 11:20 PM on Thursday. Flightradar24, a flight tracking service, indicated that the aircraft was near the Bay of Bengal when it decided to return to Singapore.
Responding to queries, British Airways stated that the flight experienced an uncommon occurrence of severe turbulence, prompting the decision to return to Singapore as a precautionary measure. The airline did not provide details about the nature of the crew members’ injuries.
“We have apologized to the passengers for the flight delay and have arranged hotel accommodations for them while providing information on their consumer rights,” stated the airline in a released statement.
“We are currently rebooking customers on the next available flights with us and other partner airlines.”
The majority of the crew has already returned to London, and a team has been dispatched to Singapore to provide medical support.
British Airways emphasized that incidents of this nature are rare, but it advised passengers to always keep their seatbelts fastened while seated as a safety precaution.
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), turbulence is caused by various factors such as atmospheric pressure, jet streams, weather fronts, or thunderstorms. It can occur unexpectedly, even when the sky appears clear. The FAA warned that turbulence can result in sudden jolts that may cause injuries to passengers and crew members who are not properly secured with seatbelts.
