Two Ryanair flight attendants were seriously injured when severe turbulence struck a flight from Vitoria, Spain to Palma, Mallorca on Monday morning. One steward was thrown into the aircraft ceiling while another was struck by a catering trolley during the incident involving 180 passengers.
The turbulence occurred while crew members were conducting routine safety protocols, checking passenger seat positions and table positions as the flight approached its destination. Several other crew members sustained injuries as they were standing during the sudden turbulence event.
Emergency services raced to Son Sant Joan airport to meet the aircraft upon landing. An ambulance quickly attended to the aircraft stairs to treat the injured crew members before passengers could safely disembark after several minutes.
Weather disruption
The incident occurred as heavy rain and storms were already causing flight delays across Mallorca. According to The Standard, a storm front moving over the island contributed to the severe turbulence conditions that disrupted the morning flight.
Previous incidents
The turbulence incident follows a similar Ryanair emergency earlier this year when nine people were injured during severe weather between Berlin and Milan in June. The aircraft carrying 185 passengers made an emergency landing at Memmingen Airport in Bavaria after flying into a thunderstorm.
A Ryanair spokesperson said at the time: "The captain called ahead for medical assistance and the aircraft landed normally. To get passengers to their final destination as quickly as possible, we arranged for alternative transport from Memmingen to Milan that night, as well as a replacement flight this morning."
The extent of injuries from Monday's Mallorca incident remains unclear. Ryanair has been contacted for comment regarding the latest turbulence event.
Sources used: "Mirror", "The Standard", "Daily Record", "WalesOnline" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
