WELLINGTON: A passenger and a crew member on board an Air New Zealand flight from Wellington to Queenstown were injured after the plane was hit by severe turbulence on Sunday (June 16). <\/p>\n
The passenger suffered burns after a pot of hot coffee on a service trolley spilled on her when turbulence hit flight NZ607, while the crew member reportedly hit the ceiling. <\/p>\n
Radio New Zealand reported that the passenger, who was identified only by her first name Suze, said they were told to expect some bumps on the flight. <\/p>\n
About 15 minutes into the flight, the plane jolted a little during drink service, followed by a massive jolt. <\/p>\n
The trolley moved about in the aisle amid the turbulence and the coffee pot lids came off, spilling hot coffee on her abdomen and back. <\/p>\n
Suze, who had her seatbelt on, described the flight as really rough. <\/p>\n
The frequent flyer managed to get a bottle of cold water and poured it on herself. A paramedic who was sitting behind her also attended to her injuries. <\/p>\n
Two ambulances were dispatched to Queenstown Airport, reported New Zealand media outlet Crux. <\/p>\n
Another passenger told Crux that a cabin crew member said she hit the ceiling. <\/p>\n
The airline said in a statement to Crux that a customer and (a) crew member were injured during turbulence on NZ607 from Wellington to Queenstown on Sunday. The statement did not provide details of the injuries. <\/p>\n
In a statement to the Herald, Air New Zealands chief operational integrity and safety officer, Captain David Morgan, said the crew are trained to respond to these situations. <\/p>\n
From time to time, clear-air turbulence can occur where rough air is not visible to the flight crew, he said. <\/p>\n
Were always reviewing our operating procedures in line with both regulation and international best practice to ensure the safety of our customers and crew is prioritised. <\/p>\n
On May 21, one passenger died of a suspected heart attack and dozens were injured after Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encountered severe turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin. <\/p>\n
The flight, which was travelling from Londons Heathrow Airport to Singapore, made an emergency landing at Thailands Suvarnabhumi Airport. <\/p>\n
The airline has sent out offers of compensation to the passengers, with those who suffered minor injuries being offered US$10,000 (S$13,500). <\/p>\n
SIA is in discussions with those who have more serious injuries about compensation offers that would meet their specific circumstances. - The Straits Times\/ANN <\/p>\n
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Two injured after Air New Zealand flight encounters severe turbulence - The Star Online<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" WELLINGTON: A passenger and a crew member on board an Air New Zealand flight from Wellington to Queenstown were injured after the plane was hit by severe turbulence on Sunday (June 16). Continue reading