Passenger jet in turbulence scare returns to Dubai

Dubai: The Emirates Airline plane on which 23 passengers and crew were injured when it lost altitude suddenly during turbulence was flown back to Dubai yesterday having passed safety checks in India.
The airline said in a statement that it had provided a replacement aircraft for yesterday’s return flight after the plane involved in Sunday’s airborne drama was grounded for inspections.
“A replacement aircraft carried passengers on EK531 – the return flight – to Dubai yesterday. The Boeing 777-200 involved in the incident has been cleared to fly by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and will return to Dubai at 11.00 GMT today with crew only,” said Majid al Mualla, the senior vice president, commercial operations West Asia and Indian Ocean in a statement.
The plane carrying 350 passengers was cruising at 35,000 feet on its way from Dubai to Kochi on Sunday morning when it dropped suddenly during severe turbulence.
The DGCA in India said the aircraft had sustained some damage in the incident and grounded it at Nedumbassery International Airport in Kochi until they had carried out inspections.
In a statement following the incident, the General Civil Aviation Authority in the UAE described it as a “serious incident” and said it would co-ordinate with Indian authorities in a thorough investigation.
27/04/10 Praveen Menon/The National, UAE

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Categories: Foreign Apr 2010, Safety Apr 2010