Passengers on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight from Spain to Uruguay have recounted the horrifying moment they “thought they were going to die” when severe turbulence injured up to 30 people.
The Air Europa flight UX 045 departed from Madrid’s Barajas Airport at 12.27am on Monday, July 1 but was compelled to make an emergency landing in the Brazilian city of Natal due to “severe turbulence.”
A chilling video clip shared on X by user @MarielaJodal, depicts passengers being thrown out of their seats, into the aisles and around the cabin as the turbulence struck the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Norys, a Venezuelan resident in Uruguay who had travelled to Europe for tourism, told El Observador: “Suddenly the plane abruptly fell and we all went up. Those who were not wearing seatbelts flew away and some were stuck to the ceiling . It lasted about 3.5 seconds”.
Juan Pablo, an Argentine passenger living in Uruguay, also relayed his terrifying experience to El Observador, stating: “You were aware that you were falling at an incalculable speed. And you felt like it was going to end there, that you were going to die. Until we started to see on the screen that the plane was starting to rise”.
Due to the turbulence, several individuals were injured, with some sustaining fractures. According to Juan Pablo, at least 20 people were transported by ambulance to the Monsenhor Walfredo Gurgel hospital in Natal, and an additional 30 people were injured.
Passengers of the flight were left stranded at Natal airport for several hours, leading to a flurry of public criticism towards Air Europa on Twitter.
One disgruntled passenger claimed there was “no representative of Air Europa” at Natal airport, leaving them to communicate with the company solely via email or Twitter. They also highlighted that some airport officials attempted to pacify the more impatient individuals.
In a statement given to the New York Post, Air Europa stated: “The plane has landed normally and the injuries of varying degrees that were recorded are already being treated.”