Emergency landing in Minneapolis after Delta flight hit by violent turbulence

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis after encountering intense turbulence that left 25 people injured and requiring hospital care.

Delta Flight 56 had departed from Salt Lake City and was less than an hour into its nine-hour journey to the Netherlands when the aircraft experienced severe turbulence, the airline confirmed in a statement, according to Bloomberg.

The Airbus A330neo landed safely at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport just before 8 p.m. local time on огдн 30.

There were 275 passengers and 13 crew members aboard the flight. Following the incident, 25 individuals were transported to local hospitals for medical evaluation and treatment.

Although the exact moment of the turbulence is unknown, flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft making sudden altitude changes — first climbing from 37,000 to 38,000 feet, then quickly descending to 36,225 feet before returning to cruising altitude.

Turbulence is a frequent occurrence in air travel, but it can become dangerous when it strikes without warning. Passengers and crew not secured by seatbelts are particularly at risk. The event recalls a May 2024 incident in which a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore suffered extreme turbulence, resulting in one fatality and over 100 injuries.

By Tamilla Hasanova