When the flight was rerouted to Brazil, it was headed from Spain to Uruguay.
Strong turbulence caused an Air Europa flight from Spain to Uruguay to be diverted to Brazil, resulting in forty injuries, some of which were serious, according to officials.
Early on Monday morning, flight UX045 encountered “heavy” turbulence; however, it successfully touched down at Natal International Airport in São Gonçalo do Amarante, according to the airline. Around 2:32 a.m. local time, the aircraft requested an emergency landing, according to the airport.
The airport verified to ABC News on Monday night that thirty patients were treated on-site, and ten others needed to be taken to the hospital for additional testing.
According to Air Europa, seven passengers are still hospitalized in critical but non-life-threatening conditions as of Tuesday morning, ABC News said.
According to the airline, a few individuals were propelled towards the ceiling of the cabin.
Videos taken by passengers revealed injuries, passengers wearing neck braces, and some sleeping on their backs in the aisle. It’s unclear how the man got to be hanging from an overhead compartment in one of the videos.
The airline said that the incident happened as the flight was traveling from Madrid-Barajas to Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay. According to the airline, Natal was the closest airport to take care of the travelers’ medical requirements.
“Due to the nature of the turbulence and for safety reasons, it was decided to divert the flight to Natal International Airport in Brazil,” said the airline.
There were 325 passengers on board the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at the time.
According to Air Europa, passengers in good condition were flown to Recife, where they were met by a plane that left Madrid early on Tuesday and proceeded to Montevideo.
The airline stated that the original aircraft is not in use and will be inspected.
Investigations into the incident are still ongoing.
