Turbulence forces Etihad flight back to Perth

Severe turbulence forced an Etihad Airways airliner to return to Perth last night, sparking an emergency callout of firefighters.

The Boeing 787-9 took off from the West Australian capital at 5.15pm (local time) at the start of its non-stop flight to Abu Dhabi when it hit major turbulence about 8500 metres above the town of Cervantes, north of Perth, reports The West Australian.

Despite descending and reducing speed, the turbulence continued, with passengers saying loose objects went flying through the cabin.

The plane's captain then decided to return to Perth for an inspection of the aircraft.

Fire engines were called to the runway when the airliner returned after dumping fuel and it landed safely.

Etihad Airways confirmed the incident last night.

"Etihad Airways flight EY487, operating from Perth to Abu Dhabi today, 7 September 2017, has returned to Perth Airport having experienced severe turbulence an hour into its journey."

"No passengers were hurt during the turbulence event, however as a precaution, the aircraft is being inspected by engineers," the airline said.

The flight was expected to restart its flight to the Middle East today.