Another scary plane incident leaves over a dozen injured

It has happened again.

Another commercial aircraft has plunged through the air, this time after a decompression incident.

This week's incident occurred when a Korean Air flight saw over a dozen passengers needing medical treatment after a fast descent.

The flight from Seoul to Taichung, Taiwan, suddenly experienced a decompression malfunction and the pilots were forced to take the plane down 25,000 feet within 15 minutes, Travel Mole reported.

Thirteen passengers required hospital treatment, reporting hyperventilation and eardrum pain.

Oxygen masks were deployed during the incident but the flight landed safely without further incident.

The scare happened on a Boeing 737 Max aircraft.

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has ordered an investigation.

Pilots said a cockpit pressurisation alert sounded about 50 minutes into the flight.

Last month, a 73-year-old British man died after a flight from London to Singapore hit turbulence, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand.

It was reported that some people were propelled into the ceiling and knocked their heads on the baggage cabins overhead. Singapore Airlines said 18 people were hospitalised, including a crew member.

The same month, 12 people were injured, including eight taken to hospital, after Qatar Airways plane hits turbulence on Doha-Dublin flight. 

Travel insurers, predictably, are using the rise in turbulence incidents to spruik their products. 

“Should turbulence impact your travel plans or cause injury, having travel insurance means there’s one less thing to think about, while you navigate a highly stressful situation,” said Southern Cross Travel Insurance Chief Executive, Jo McCauley.

Climate change could mean more turbulent flights

There has been another terrifying airline turbulence incident on an international flight, sparking fears that global warming is making turbulence more frequent - and potentially deadly.

Twelve people were reported injured on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Dublin at the weekend hit massive turbulence, Dublin Airport officials said.

The flight from Doha landed at Dublin and was met by emergency services.

Dublin Airport posted on X that six passengers and six crew members suffered various injuries and that eight of the 12 injured were taken to hospital.

Qatar Airways flight QR017 apparently suffered turbulence as it flew over Turkiye, Travel Mole reported..

“A small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries in flight and are now receiving medical attention,” Qatar Airways said in a statement. It added that “the matter is now subject to an internal investigation.”

Just last week a British man died during a severe turbulence incident on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore's Changi Airport. There were 104 passengers injured on that flight.  

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said turbulence incidents are up concerningly. He said turbulence will continue to “affect American travellers, whether here or abroad.”

He told the CBS TV network: “The reality is, the effects of climate change are already upon us in terms of our transportation.

”“Our climate is evolving. Our policies and our technology and our infrastructure have to evolve accordingly, too.”

Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in the UK, previously told CNN that he believes climate change is modifying turbulence. 

“We ran some computer simulations and found that severe turbulence could double or triple in the coming decades,” Williams said.

So disturbing news for frequent flyers. 

Buckle up people. 

* Singapore Airlines has amended its policy on in-flight seatbelt use, taking a "more cautious" approach. 

The airline will not serve passengers food and drink when the seatbelt sign is on, Travel Mole reported. 

The airline said: “SIA will continue to review our processes, as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance." 

Image: Einar Maeland Jensen, Scop.io