An Air Europa flight from Madrid to Montevideo was forced to make an emergency landing at a Brazilian airport due to severe turbulence, according to the airline. About 40 passengers, mostly with minor injuries, were taken to hospitals in Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte state, after the plane was diverted early on Monday. News website G1 reported that some passengers suffered fractures and head injuries during the turbulence, with at least two remaining in hospital on Monday afternoon.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, carrying 325 people, left Madrid at 11:57 pm on Sunday and was scheduled to arrive in Montevideo early on Monday. At 2:32 am, Flight UX045 requested an emergency landing at Natal airport in northeastern Brazil, approximately 4,000km from Montevideo, according to its operator, Zurich Airport Brazil. Air Europa stated on X that Natal airport was the closest that could quickly attend to passengers with medical needs, confirming that there were “injured passengers of varying severity.”
The state’s public health department reported that 40 passengers from Spain, Uruguay, Israel, Germany, and Bolivia were treated in state-run hospitals, with most being discharged after receiving medical attention. Four passengers remained stable at Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel Hospital, awaiting test results, while five others were taken to private hospitals. No information was available about their nationality or specific health condition.
A social media user who claimed to be on the flight posted pictures showing broken ceiling panels, with pipes and wires exposed. By 1:12 pm, Air Europa announced that passengers who were not injured were being transferred to Recife, the capital of Pernambuco state, 255km from Natal, where they would be accommodated before traveling to Montevideo.
This incident follows a series of similar occurrences where turbulence has caused significant injuries. In May, a 73-year-old British man died, and several others suffered severe injuries when a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok due to turbulence. A week later, eight people were hospitalized following turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland.
Scientists have noted that clear air turbulence, which is invisible to radar, is increasing due to the climate crisis. Research from Reading University indicates that higher temperatures resulting from the climate crisis are causing significant increases in turbulence across transatlantic flights. The study found that incidents of severe turbulence increased by 55% between 1979 and 2020 due to changes in wind velocity at high altitudes.