3 airplane passengers hospitalised in Sydney after severe turbulence caused by strong winds
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One of Sydney Airport's runways had to be closed due to strong winds on July 1, 2023.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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Strong winds in Sydney thwarted the holiday travel plans of many in Australia and caused three passengers on a Hawaiian Airlines flight to be hospitalised after severe turbulence.
The adverse weather on Saturday – the first day of school holidays in New South Wales – came after about 100 flight cancellations in and out of Sydney on Friday, British daily The Guardian reported.
On Friday, a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Sydney experienced unexpected severe turbulence approximately five hours into the flight.
Four passengers and three flight attendants were initially treated by a doctor on board who communicated with physicians on the ground.
The Airbus A330 with 163 passengers and 12 crew landed at Sydney Airport at about 7.45pm on Friday evening.
Three passengers were hospitalised with injuries including back pain, a Sydney Airport spokesman said.
Hawaiian Airlines said its immediate priority is to care for those affected by the turbulence event and thanked Sydney Airport first responders for their swift assistance.
The airlines added that it conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft before the return flight departed for Honolulu on Friday night.
Due to strong winds, one of Sydney Airport’s runways had to be closed on Saturday after warnings from air traffic controllers of worsening conditions. It was the second time the runway had to be closed in two days.
By 9am on Saturday, airlines had cancelled more than 20 flights. Some carriers were unable to run scheduled services as staff and aircraft had been unable to arrive in certain cities the previous day.
Disruptions mostly affected domestic flights on Saturday morning.
The Sydney Airport spokesman said airlines are “working hard to re-accommodate passengers and get them on their way”. He urged passengers to contact their airlines with any questions.
Qantas told The Guardian it will move customers to the next flight available, while Virgin Australia said it is working to rebook travellers whose flights have been cancelled.
