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Twelve are injured due to turbulence on the Doha-Dublin flight

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Twelve individuals were injured due to turbulence on a flight from Doha to Dublin, according to Dublin Airport operator DAA. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner encountered turbulence while flying over Turkey. Upon landing around 13:00 local time, Qatar Airways flight QR017 was met by emergency services, including airport police, ambulance, and fire officers. Six passengers and six crew members reported injuries, with eight being taken to the hospital.

Ireland’s National Ambulance Service had received a pre-alert and was present to assist with the disembarkment. Dublin Fire Brigade staff and emergency vehicles also attended. A DAA spokesperson mentioned that the Dublin Airport team continues to provide full assistance to passengers and airline staff on the ground.

Passengers described the incident as frightening. Cathal, a passenger traveling home to Ireland from Doha, told RTÉ that the seatbelt signs were off during the incident, causing his dinner to spill. Another passenger, Paul Mocc, saw people hitting the roof of the aircraft and noticed injured crew members, some limping and bandaged, continuing to serve passengers. He also observed a passenger on oxygen with suspected back injuries lying across several seats.

Emma Rose Power and Conor Buckley, returning to Dublin from Thailand, experienced the turbulence while Mr. Buckley saw a flight attendant lifted into the air. Ms. Power was asleep during the turbulence but saw panic on everyone’s faces when she woke up. She noted that some flight attendants had scratches and one had an arm in a sling.

Another passenger, Eileen, described it as the “worst experience” she ever had on a plane, with her partner Tony holding her down as she had not been wearing her seatbelt and was asleep during the turbulence. Eileen expressed reluctance to fly again soon.

Qatar Airways stated that a small number of passengers and crew sustained minor injuries and were receiving medical attention, with the incident under internal investigation. The overall operations at Dublin Airport were unaffected, and the return flight to Doha was scheduled to operate with a delay.

This incident follows another severe turbulence event earlier in the week on a Singapore-bound flight, which resulted in the death of a 73-year-old British man and over 100 injuries, 20 of which are critical with spinal injuries. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong issued an apology and Singapore’s government has promised a thorough investigation.

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Irish economy expected to grow in next two years

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A prominent think tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), has projected solid growth for Ireland’s domestic economy in the next couple of years, driven by decreasing inflation and rising wages. They anticipate a 2.3% growth in modified domestic demand (MDD) for this year, followed by a 2.5% increase next year. MDD is a metric that filters out the influence of multinational corporations on Ireland’s economy. In 2023, MDD only saw a modest 0.5% growth due to factors like inflation and higher interest rates dampening spending and investment.

Despite a strong post-pandemic recovery, Ireland’s economic momentum slowed notably in 2023, partly due to increased inflation which hindered household finances. The ESRI noted a lack of real pay growth during 2022 and 2023. Real pay, adjusted for inflation, is a key indicator of changes in living standards. Both the ESRI and Ireland’s Central Bank anticipate an increase in real pay this year.

Traditionally, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) serves as the primary measure of economic performance; however, Ireland’s GDP is heavily skewed by multinational activities. Official data indicated a 3.2% contraction in Irish GDP in 2023. Usually, Irish GDP overestimates economic growth, but recent trends have shown the opposite, partly due to decreased sales and exports from US pharmaceutical companies’ Irish operations post-pandemic. The ESRI anticipates a recovery in Irish GDP over the next two years, driven by global trade improvements.

The ESRI also underscored the pressing need for Ireland to address well-documented infrastructure challenges, particularly in areas like housing, renewable energy, and public transport. Notably, plans for an underground rail link connecting Dublin Airport to the city center have reached the public planning hearings stage after more than two decades since the project’s inception.

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