Ryanair has responded after passengers sustained injuries during a flight from Birmingham described as a scene from a 'horror movie'. The airline confirmed that medical assistance was required following severe air turbulence.
Flight Diverted Back to Birmingham After Mid-Air Ordeal
The incident occurred on Saturday, December 28, aboard Ryanair flight FR1121 bound for Tenerife South. Shortly after departure from Birmingham Airport (BHX), the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft encountered unexpected and severe turbulence. The situation was serious enough that the pilots made the decision to turn the plane around and return to its point of origin.
According to reports from passengers shared with the Aviation Herald, the turbulence struck while the cabin crew were carrying out their service. The sudden and violent movement of the aircraft caused a number of injuries among those on board.
'We Were Flung Out of Our Seats': Passenger Accounts
One woman on the flight provided a harrowing account of the experience. She said the aircraft had been in smooth cruising flight when, "out of nowhere all of a sudden, the plane jerked to the left extremely quickly and then to the right."
She described a terrifying sensation of a loss of control. "It felt like something you see on a horror movie," she stated. "And then we plummeted down and we were flung out of our seats."
While she emerged physically unharmed, she emphasised the significant psychological impact of the event, saying: "the mental toll this has taken is awful."
Airline and Airport Response to the Incident
In an official statement, a Ryanair spokesperson confirmed the sequence of events: "FR1121 from Birmingham to Tenerife on 28th December returned to Birmingham Airport shortly after take-off due to air turbulence. The aircraft landed normally before passengers disembarked and returned to the terminal, where a small number of passengers were provided with medical assistance."
The airline confirmed that the same aircraft later continued its journey to Tenerife, departing at 21:06 local time that evening.
A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport stated: “We were made aware of the aircraft returning to BHX and initiated the normal operating procedures to support Ryanair.” This indicates that airport staff were on standby to manage the unexpected return and assist passengers as needed.
Despite the traumatic interruption and delays, all passengers eventually arrived on the Spanish island later that same Saturday evening.
