A Jetblue Airbus A320-200 performing flight B6-1256 from Guayaquil (Ecuador) to Fort Lauderdale, FL (USA), was enroute at 36,000 when the aircraft encountered turbulence causing altitude deviations of roughly 50 feet.
The aircraft continued to Fort Lauderdale for a safe landing without further incident about 55 minutes later however seven passengers and one crew member were taken to a local hospital.
The plane, JetBlue said, was taken out of service for an inspection and has not yet returned to service at the time of this article.
Turbulence on the rise?
The chances of being tossed around an aircraft cabin by severe turbulence could triple in coming years due to climate change, a new study has found.
The study by University of Reading researcher Dr Paul Williams is the first to examine the impact of climate change on turbulence and the results should make even the most brazen of passengers buckle up.
Although technology that allows aircraft to detect unexpected turbulence has improved, clear air turbulence remains difficult to distinguish and there are still incidents where passengers and cabin crew are injured.
It is already estimated to cost US carriers $US200 million annually and increased turbulence has implications for aircraft insurers and for the efficiency of airline operations.
About JetBlue
JetBlue, is a United States low-cost airline headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens.
JetBlue operates over 1,000 flights daily and serves 100 domestic and international network destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, the UK and Europe.
As of September 2023 the airline operates a primarily Airbus fleet consisting of the A220, A320 and A321 aircraft. The airline also has 45 Embraer aircraft which will be phased out over the coming year and replaced with additional Airbus A220 aircraft.
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