A video shared on social media (see below) depicts items flying around and passengers shouting as they were jolted in their seats during severe turbulence on a Scandinavian Airlines flight above Greenland last Thursday.

The SAS flight SK957 was traveling from Stockholm to Miami when the turbulence hit.

The airline reported that the airplane was redirected to Copenhagen for inspection instead of proceeding to Miami due to inadequate staffing in the U.S. for the required procedures.

“We acknowledge that flight SK957 from ARN to MIA encountered significant turbulence over Greenland. Following such events, safety protocols mandate a comprehensive inspection of the aircraft,” a spokesperson for the airline stated in a message to YSL News. “As SAS lacks the necessary resources and personnel for this level of inspection in Miami, we made the decision to divert the aircraft to Copenhagen (CPH), where both hangar space and skilled technicians could be found. Sending the aircraft to Miami could have led to it being out of service for a long time, causing multiple flight cancellations.”

No serious injuries were reported following the turbulence, and SAS ensured that all passengers were provided accommodations overnight in Copenhagen and rebooked on alternative flights.

With climate change contributing to an increase in severe turbulence incidents, flying continues to be one of the safest travel methods. Passengers are encouraged to follow crew instructions to keep their seatbelts fastened while seated and always abide by the illuminated seatbelt sign. A seatbelt serves as the primary defense against injuries related to turbulence.