TAAG Angola Airlines (HiFly) Airbus A330 sustains severe turbulence; injures eight passengers and two crew members

On 23 March, a TAAG Angola Airlines Airbus A330-300 (9H-HFA) – operated by ACMI carrier HiFly – performed flight DT652 between Luanda, Angola and Lisbon, Portugal. During the flight, while flying above the Democratic Republic of Congo, the aircraft sustained severe turbulence. While dishes and trays flew through the aircraft, two crew members and eight passengers were injured, one of them received first aid from a doctor who was on board.

In a statement, the airline explained that flight DT 652 Luanda-Lisbon passed through a “zone of severe turbulence” when flying over the Democratic Republic of Congo. Passengers were eating when the turbulence occurred, which caused chaos inside the plane. According to Novo Jornal and images and footage that were published on social networks (see below), the meal service cars were projected in the air.

Two crew members and eight passengers were injured, one of whom received first aid inside the plane from a doctor who was on board. Upon arrival at Lisbon airport, TAAG indicated that an ambulance and a “medical team” were waiting for the passengers, who observed the passengers. None were seriously injured.