At least 25 people are in hospital after a flight experienced severe turbulence overnight

The incident occurred on Delta Airlines flight DL56, which was forced to make an unscheduled stop at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minnesota due to the intense turbulence encountered en route from Salt Lake City, Utah. The Airbus A330-900 touched down at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport around 10pm Wednesday local time (4am Thursday UK time).

Out of the 275 passengers aboard, 25 required medical attention and were transported to local hospitals, as confirmed by the airline. A spokesperson for Delta Airlines stated: "Delta flight DL56 - flying from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam - diverted to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport Wednesday after the flight encountered significant turbulence while enroute."

This event follows a claim by one expert who said, "I'm a pilot with 10,000 flight hours but I won't go near this place".

Continuing, the Delta Airlines representative said: "The aircraft, an Airbus A330-900, landed safely at MSP, and medical personnel met the flight upon arrival to evaluate customers and crew. Twenty-five of those on board were transported to local hospitals for evaluation and care. We are grateful for the support of all emergency responders involved. Safety is our No. 1 value at Delta, and our Delta Care Team is working directly with customers to support their immediate needs.", reports The Mirror.

Firefighters and paramedics were on standby for the plane before it touched down. The nature and extent of the injuries remain uncertain at this point.

It is understood that passengers will proceed to Amsterdam when it is next safest to do so.

A study carried out this year by Turbli, a turbulence forecast site, identified the world's most turbulent route as being between Mendoza in Argentina and Santiago in Chile, which recorded a 24.684 eddy dissipation rate (edr). Turbulence levels are categorised, with light measuring between zero and 20 edr, moderate measuring between 20 and 40 edr, severe measuring between 60 and 80 and extreme measuring between 80 and 100 edr.

The second most turbulent route was found to be from Cordoba in Spain to Santiago, which measured 20.214 edr. Regarding airports with the most turbulence, Santiago in Chile took the top spot, followed by Mendoza in Argentina and Salta, in Argentina.

Turbulence refers to irregular and often unpredictable movements of the aircraft caused by disturbances in the air. It can vary from mild to severe and is typically associated with changes in air pressure, atmospheric conditions, and wind patterns.

In May 2024, Singapore Airlines Flight 321 encountered severe turbulence which resulted in unrestrained passengers and flight crew onboard being tossed around the cabin. A 73-year-old British man suffered a suspected heart attack during the incident and was pronounced dead upon arrival in Bangkok.