The surprise shivered its way through after an EasyJet flight, back to London Gatwick from Corfu, was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome following the turbulence that left two of the cabin crew injured. The pilots opted to divert the flight. This showcases how unpredictable traveling by air can be and the importance of precautionary measures due to unpredictability of the air.

Times when travelers board planes and expect to have a decent trip back home could change suddenly. That accurately describes what happened to passengers on board an EasyJet plane that was en route from Corfu to London Gatwick on August 19. Their 181-passenger-laden plane entered into a zone of severe turbulence shortly after takeoff, compelling the crew to make an emergency landing in Rome.

Chaos at 28,000

It struck at 28,000 feet and 485mph, just at the airplane had been underway 20 minutes into the flight after taking off. Chief among the scenes of chaos was how the plane shook uncontrollably, flinging two cabin crew members into the sides of the aircraft. This occurrence hit with the crew members in the middle of preparing to serve food.

The pilots, putting two and two together and sifting out the details, made a judgment that it was the soundest move to make in their best interests, given the circumstances. The aircraft was promptly diverted to Rome so that the injured crew could receive medical attention.

A Quick Change of Plan

The aircraft changed its direction at once as it was approaching the southern part of Italy. The data by Flightrader 24 showed that the aircraft that must have been heading to London at once deserted its flight path and changed to heading the direction of Rome. The spontaneous action was very crucial in ensuring the safety of the people who were in the airplane.

Violent storms are ravaging southern Italy, with extreme weather that has swept the area within a few hours before the turbulent experience by the EasyJet flight. Reports had emerged of a superyacht that had been hit by a tornado off the coasts of Sicily and capsize. The yacht had six passengers who are still missing, with one dead.

Response from EasyJet

After the aircraft landed in Rome, an EasyJet spokesman released a statement regarding the incident and assured that the airline places the safety and welfare of passengers and crew as its top priority. “Flight EZY8120 from Corfu to London Gatwick on 19 August experienced turbulence which unfortunately resulted in two cabin crew members being injured,” the spokesman said.

“Accordingly the Captain decided to divert to Rome where the crew members were met by medical services. The flight landed normally in Rome where customers were supported in the terminal and a replacement crew and aircraft were arranged to continue the flight to London Gatwick.”

Safety First

While an EasyJet spokesperson was reassuring passengers, saying, “The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and we always adopt a precautionary approach to any concerns raised,” turbulence is pretty common in air travel, and pilots are well trained to take such incidents with seriousness.

Whatever saved this situation was most probably the quick thinking and immediacy of the actions taken by the pilots. Diverting to Rome would allow the crew members to get attention from the medical officials stationed there, and the passengers could have been sure the pilots gave priority to their safety.

A Reminder of Air Travel’s Unpredictability

This is an illustration that air travel is a comparatively safe means of transportation but is inexplicably sometimes taken by surprise with turbulence: very much like an unwanted guest, it shows up when it wants to and can be almost anything when it decides to be there. Airlines, like EasyJet, take innumerable precautions to eliminate danger to their respective passengers and crew, but sometimes nature has a whole hand up its sleeve.

For the passengers on flight EZY8120, what started as a routine journey home turned into a dramatic experience they won’t soon forget. But all thanks to the professionalism of the EasyJet crew, the situation was managed with attention and efficiency, and everyone managed to finally land their plane.

Looking Ahead

Just as was the case with the history of EasyJet, safety is the very first of concerns, with passengers at ease that they are in good hands. For every turbulence, such mindsets as airlines experience every day; however, they are always well-prepared for just in case. All the same, the most important is that every person got back all right, despite how thrilling the journey had to be.

So, the next time you sit there, and in the air with the seatbelts on, you can remember again the story of Flight EZY8120 and the calm, capable crew at the helm. Maybe you might even order an extra bag of peanuts just to distract therefrom your mind and all the bumps in the sky.