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Dozens of passengers injured on Air Canada flight out of Vancouver today

Severe turbulence prompts emergency landing in Honolulu.
Nearly three dozen passengers sustained minor injuries Thursday when an Air Canada flight travelling
Nearly three dozen passengers sustained minor injuries Thursday when an Air Canada flight travelling from Toronto to Sydney, Australia, ran into severe turbulence, prompting an emergency landing in Honolulu. Photo Mark Blinch/Canadian Press

Approximately 35 people have sustained injuries onboard a flight out of Vancouver en route to Sydney, Australia on Thursday, July 11.

Flight AC33 originated in Toronto and was making a stopover in Vancouver before it headed across the Pacific Ocean. The flight ran into severe turbulence approximately two hours past Hawaii, which prompted an emergency landing in Honolulu.

Vancouver Is Awesome spoke to Angela Mah, media relations spokesperson for Air Canada, who explained what took place after the aircraft departed and what the airline plans to do moving forward.

“Current information indicates there are approximately 35 people who appear to have sustained minor injuries,” she said. “Our first priority is always the safety of our flights, passengers and crew and as a precaution, medical personnel are on standby to assist passengers in Honolulu.”

Mah notes that the aircraft was a Boeing 777-200, with 269 passengers and 15 crew on board. She adds that the turbulence was “un-forecasted and sudden.”

“We are currently making arrangements for the passengers including hotel accommodations and meals in Honolulu, as well as options for resumption of the flight.”

Some of the passenger and crew were examined by medical personnel on arrival at Honolulu airport at 12:45 p.m.

An Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Anchorage was re-routed on Sunday, June 23 after the aircraft’s engine shutdown mid-flight.

Air Canada is also facing some serious questions regarding an incident that took place in a parked aircraft in Toronto. A woman fell asleep while on board her flight from Quebec City to Toronto and woke up alone in the dark. She was later rescued by a baggage carrier, but reports that the experience has caused her extreme anxiety.

With files from the Canadian Press.

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