Avianca flight turbulence leaves 8 hospitalized, forces emergency landing

At least eight people were hospitalized early Friday morning after a flight to New York City from Colombia diverted to the Miami International Airport for an emergency landing due to severe turbulence .

An official at Miami International Airport told Global News that Avianca Flight 042 was travelling from Medellín, Colombia, to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and had to “divert to MIA due to turbulence.”

The flight landed at 3:30 a.m. on Friday and eight passengers were transported to a nearby hospital, said Greg Chin, communications director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department.

The remaining passengers departed at 8:15 a.m. local time on a flight to JFK, Chin added.

The flight was diverted to Miami “as a precautionary measure and in accordance with the airline’s safety protocols,” a spokesperson for the airline told Global News.

“Three cabin crew members and six passengers were affected by the turbulence. Upon arrival, Avianca’s team and airport medical services activated the appropriate protocols to provide immediate care,” the airline added.

“For the remaining passengers, Avianca’s airport team has made the necessary arrangements to continue their travel to New York, providing assistance and support throughout the process,” the statement continued.

“Avianca remains in contact with the affected passengers and crew members as it continues to respond to the situation,” it added.

Avianca said that the safety of their customers and employees “is, and will remain, the foundation of our operations.”

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) told Global News that eight units responded to a medical call following reports of turbulence in an aircraft.

“Due to the number of patients, the call was upgraded to a Level One Mass Casualty Incident. There was a total of eight patients. One patient was transported by MDFR to the main trauma center. The other seven patients were transported to local-area hospitals by private ambulances,” a spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said.

One passenger on the flight told NBC Miami that they thought “it was the end for us.”

“It was incredibly intense — something I’ve never experienced in my life,” the passenger said.

In July 2025, a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Amsterdam from Salt Lake City was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis after more than two dozen passengers were injured during turbulence.