A British Airways crew member is taking her airline to court, claiming she was seriously injured during violent turbulence because the jet’s pilot steered the aircraft too close to a storm “danger zone.”
Laura Lanigan, 56, a veteran cabin crew member with nearly 30 years’ service, is seeking about £72,500 in damages for injuries sustained during a long-haul flight in June 2019.
The drama unfolded on a Boeing 777 en route from London Heathrow to Mumbai, India, as the aircraft approached its destination. Lanigan was working in the galley when the plane went through an unexpected, violent bout of turbulence, sending her flying into the air and crashing back to the floor. She suffered a fractured knee and a dislocated shoulder and was later taken off the aircraft in a wheelchair.
Her legal team argues that the captain should have kept the aircraft clear of a large cumulonimbus storm cloud, a well-known source of extreme turbulence, and thus avoided what they call a “danger zone.” According to cabin crew testimony, the bump that caused her injuries was among the worst she’d experienced in decades of flying.
But British Airways denies any negligence. Lawyers for the airline tell the court there was no visible storm cloud on radar, and that pilots observed only light cloud formations at the time — meaning there was no clear indication of cumulonimbus threats that should have prompted a significant re-routing. They also stress that the crew were briefed about possible weather conditions before the flight and that the seat-belt sign had been illuminated ahead of the worst turbulence.
Lanigan’s case has struck a chord in aviation safety debates, highlighting ongoing questions about how much responsibility pilots and airlines bear when sudden atmospheric conditions develop — and how those decisions affect cabin crew, who often continue their duties even after passengers are warned to sit and fasten their seatbelts.
The lawsuit continues in Central London’s county court.
© Confessions of a Trolley Dolly by Dan Air