An Air Transat Airbus A321LR Lost 2,000 Feet In Transatlantic Turbulence

An Air Transat Airbus A321LR, registered as C-GOIW, encountered severe turbulence while the aircraft was cruising above the Atlantic Ocean flight operating flight TS123 between London Gatwick Airport (LGW), the United Kingdom (UK) and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Canada, on November 7, 2023.

Descending and climbing

According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the A321LR was cruising at FL320 when it encountered “an area of severe clear air turbulence.” While in the area, the aircraft climbed 280 feet (85.3 meters) and descended 2,200 ft (670.5 m) before the Air Transat Airbus A321LR eventually stabilized.

The flight continued to YYZ without further incident, with the TSB noting that no injuries were reported to the 182 onboard passengers and crew members. The TSB added that it was “difficult to control” the aircraft during the event, with the investigators also noting that,

“Post-severe turbulence maintenance inspection was carried out.”

However, TSB classified the incident as class 5, meaning that the turbulence event has “little likelihood of identifying new safety lessons that will advance transportation safety.” As such, the investigation is “limited to data gathering and the data are recorded for statistical reporting and future analysis” with no “formal investigation report” produced for such incidents. Looking at the TSB’s data on air transportation occurrences, this was the 14th severe turbulence event that Canadian operators have reported so far in 2023. The incidents caused six minor injuries, none of which were fatal. Out of the 14 incidents, 13 pilots reported difficulties in controlling the aircraft, all classified as class 5 occurrences.

Read more: What Are The Different Kinds Of Turbulence?

The Air Transat Airbus A321LR took off from YYZ to Glasgow International Airport (GLA) on flight TS244 on the same day. However, the aircraft was forced to enter a 12-minute holding pattern just before it landed at the airport, presumably due to weather or traffic. Looking at Flightradar24 historical data, two other aircraft were circling around the airport, namely a pair of easyJet Airbus A320s, registered as G-EZUL and G-EZWY, which were flying from Belfast International Airport (BFS) and Bristol Airport (BRS), respectively.

Photo: Joel Serre | Shutterstock

Recovering schedule

In early October 2023, Air Transat announced its summer 2024 schedule from YYZ, which reflected “a significant recovery, particularly in its key markets of Europe and the South.” At the season’s peak, the airline will offer 110 flights from the airport to more than 25 destinations. At the time, Michèle Barre, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Air Transat, said that the newest schedule has positioned the airline to maximize its revenues and develop its market share in Ontario.

“We are committed to continuing our growth and investing in the quality of our in-flight service, for which we have been renowned for more than 35 years.”

Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock

In total, the airline will serve 15 destinations in Europe, including three in the UK: London, Manchester, and Glasgow. During the upcoming summer season, Air Transat will add a flight to Dublin, Ireland, Faro, Portugal, Manchester, the UK, Porto, Portugal, Venice, Italy, and Zagreb, Croatia. In addition to operating 15 Airbus A321LR aircraft, Air Transat also has a fleet of 13 widebodies, including 11 Airbus A330-200 and two A330-300 aircraft.