No breach of regulations

Hail flight: AUA fulfilled its requirements

In June, an AUA aircraft got caught in a thunderstorm cell on its way to Vienna.

(Bild: Leserreporter/zVg)

Following the hailstorm flight of Austrian Airlines (AUA) on June 9, the result of the investigation is now available: "Not a single violation of regulatory requirements was found during the pilot's training", said an AUA spokeswoman on Friday.

The investigation was carried out by Austro Control, the responsible supervisory authority. As reported, on June 9, an Airbus A320 en route from Palma de Mallorca to Vienna was caught in a thunderstorm cell and thus in severe turbulence. The incident occurred in Styria.

Although the aircraft was able to land safely at Schwechat Airport, it was further damaged and was only able to resume scheduled flight operations after repairs.

Investigation into public endangerment
As a result, the Korneuburg public prosecutor's office investigated the airline for negligent endangerment of the public. For example, it is being investigated whether the company had failed to provide its pilots with the relevant training on weather radar.

Austrian Airlines rejected these accusations, which were made anonymously. Significantly more training was provided than required by law. Legal action has been taken against unknown persons, said the spokesperson. The investigation by Austro Control proved AUA right: the training requirements had been complied with.