A long-term British Airways (BA) flight attendant is suing the UK flag carrier after being seriously injured on duty during a flight from London Heathrow to Mumbai, which was struck by “the worst turbulence that she had experienced” – turbulence she says the pilot should have avoided.
Laura Lanigan, 56, had worked for British Airways for three decades and once served the late Queen Elisabeth II on board. But in June 2019, as the aircraft she was crewing prepared for descent into Mumbai, a “violent drop” occurred. Lanigan was thrown into the air by the turbulence, suffering a broken knee and dislocated shoulder when she crashed to the floor, with a drinks canister falling on her. After landing, she had to be deplaned in a wheelchair.
Conflicting testimony has been heard from meteorological experts about whether anything could have been done to prevent the incident and the harm it caused to Lanigan.
Although the steward acknowledged in the London court proceedings that there is a different safety standard for crew as opposed to passengers, she and her legal team claim the pilot should not have flown in such close proximity to a storm cloud, instead remaining at least 20 miles (32 km) away. In addition, the pilot should have issued instructions to crew members to strap in, Lanigan says. She is asking for £72,500 (around €83,000) in damages, with her representative arguing that “the path that was being taken was sufficiently proximate to the cumulonimbus cloud that it was within the danger zone.”
Meanwhile, British Airways has asserted that reasonable precautions had been taken, with the seat belt light illuminated and verbal warnings given due to “mild to moderate” turbulence during the flight. The carrier also says that flight deck data gave no indication of a storm, and that “fluffy white clouds” were forecast. BA’s lawyer insisted, “The pilot made proper observations. Whatever they saw, the pilots say it wasn’t a cumulonimbus. In using the weather radar on the aircraft, they didn’t see anything indicative of a cumulonimbus.”
The case continues, but it highlights increasing awareness of turbulence and the risks it can pose both in terms of injuries and in terms of wear and tear on aircraft, particularly as climate scientists say the problem is getting worse due to global warming. In another recently reported incident, British Airways passengers broke ankles and lost consciousness. In March 2025, five SkyWest passengers were reported to have been hospitalised following turbulence. In April 2024, a 47-year-old German had to fly for six hours with a broken leg after a similar event, and in May 2024, a man died during catastrophic turbulence on board Singapore Airlines. Here, readers will find a recent ranking of some of the most turbulent US flight routes for 2026.
