Eight people, including a crew member, were taken to the hospital Monday after a JetBlue flight to Fort Lauderdale experienced severe turbulence.
Flight 1256 flew from Guayaquil, Ecuador, to Fort Lauderdale, United States, and encountered difficult conditions on its approach to Florida, the airline said.
The aircraft landed safely at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, where it was met by medical personnel who transported seven customers and one crew member to the hospital for evaluation and treatment.
“JetBlue will work to support our customers and crew members,” the company said in a statement that was reported by numerous US media outlets.
JetBlue added that the aircraft scheduled for that flight had been taken out of service for inspection.
A study published last June in the journal Geophysical Research Letters found that severe turbulence has increased by 55% since 1979.
Even more worrying is that scientists believe these dangerous turbulences will become more common.
“After a decade of research showing that climate change will increase free air turbulence in the future, we now have evidence that this increase has already begun,” said study author Dr. Professor Paul Williams.
There are different types of turbulence. These are the so-called “turbulences in clear air”, which are likely to occur more frequently and more strongly.
These occur unexpectedly, without visual cues such as clouds or storms. Unlike normal turbulence, clear-air turbulence occurs suddenly and is difficult to avoid, CNN reports.
The researchers reassure: This does not mean that flying is less safe.
“The planes will not fall out of the sky, they are built to very high specifications and can withstand the worst turbulence,” assures the researcher.
“Typically, turbulence on a transatlantic flight lasts an average of about ten minutes. I think in a few decades it could go up to 20 minutes or half an hour. The seat belt signal will almost always be activated for passengers,” explains Paul Williams.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to flight attendants and passengers in non-fatal accidents.
According to the National Center for Atmospheric Research, injuries, delays and damage from turbulence cost U.S. airlines up to $500 million annually.