Passengers injured in turbulence on Qantas flight from London to Sydney

PA

Seven passengers on a Qantas "double decker" superjet flying from London to Sydney have been injured after their aircraft struck severe turbulence caused by storms over the Indian Ocean.

Many of the 450 passengers on board flight QF32 A380 were Britons heading off for holidays.

Four of the seven who received cuts and bruises were hospitalised in Singapore for treatment, while the other three were treated at the medical centre in Changi airport.

Qantas said the turbulence was the result of severe thunderstorms in Indian air space.

A spokeswoman said the seatbelt sign went on immediately the aircraft hit the turbulence but some passengers were still standing or making their way back to their seats.

"Striking bad weather is not unusual," she said.

The injuries are the latest in a series of incidents affecting the airline's record with the new Airbus A380. In 2010, an engine on a similar aircraft disintegrated, forcing an emergency landing in Singapore.

Just last week the airline reassured passengers there was no risk to safety after cracks were found on the wings of several A380 jets owned by a number of airlines around the world.

The airline said that minuscule cracking had been found in the wing ribs on one of its A380s but no immediate action was required because it presented no risk to flight safety.

The incident also comes just a week after the airline settled a compensation case out of court, awarding payouts of up to $400,000 for 144 passengers who were on board a plane that plunged twice when one of its data units failed on a flight over western Australia.

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