EasyJet flight forced to make emergency landing after two members of cabin crew injured
The low-cost carrier had been taking passengers from Corfu to London Gatwick
PA
An easyJet flight heading to London from Greece was thrown into chaos on Monday when extraordinary turbulence left two crew members injured.
The low-cost carrier had been taking passengers from Corfu to London Gatwick just before 1pm local time.
A mere 20 minutes into the flight, the easyJet Airbus A320 was rocked by turbulence as it made its way out of the Greek holiday island's airspace.
A pair of air stewardesses who had been gearing up to dish out refreshments to flyers were caught up in the chaos as the plane shuddered through the air.
The easyJet Airbus A320 was rocked by turbulence
PAThe duo had been thrown against the jet's inner walls - forcing the flight to divert off-course for an emergency landing in Rome.
Upon arrival at the Italian capital's Fiumicino Airport, the pair of flight attendants were given medical attention - prompting Italy's air safety agency to launch an investigation.
A statement from the agency, ANSV, said: "Given the type and severity of the injuries reported, we have initiated a safety investigation, classifying the event as an 'accident'".
ANSV added that investigators would assess whether pilots had expected to be hit by turbulence, as well as why the flight landed in Rome and not airports closer to Corfu like Bari or Brindisi.
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An easyJet spokeswoman confirmed the flight attendants received medical assistance on the ground
PAAn easyJet spokeswoman said: "The flight on August 19 experienced turbulence which unfortunately injured two cabin crew members.
"As a result, the captain decided to divert the flight to Rome, where the flight attendants received medical assistance.
"The safety and well-being of our customers and crew are easyJet's top priority, and our pilots are trained to manage turbulence."
The news of the emergency landing comes just weeks after another low-cost carrier was forced to make an unexpected diversion - this time, after a "mass brawl" erupted between passengers.
The news comes mere weeks after another emergency landing, this time from Ryanair
PAThat flight, a Ryanair trip from Agadir in Morocco to London Stansted, had seen a row break out between two families on board leading to punches being thrown and a staff intervention.
One passenger aboard told The Sun how "a lady in the row behind started to have a panic attack because of everything going on".
"She was screaming and there were kids crying... It was like a snowball effect," they continued.
The flight eventually landed in Marrakech, where nine people were escorted away by police - prompting an apology from Ryanair.