Singapore Airlines changes seatbelt policy on board after fatal incident

Singapore Airlines The airline has modified its seat belt requirements on board and altered a minimum of one flight route after turbulence led to an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday.

In a press release to CNBC, the airline said it could now not offer hot drinks and meals when the seatbelt sign is illuminated as a part of its latest, “more cautious approach” to turbulence.

“SIA will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance,” it said.

The airline added that crew will proceed to secure loose items and equipment and advise passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.

Flight SQ321 London-Singapore, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board a Boeing 777-300ER on Tuesday, needed to be diverted to Bangkok after it encountered severe turbulence over Myanmar and passengers and crew members were thrown around within the cabin.

The day by day route has continued to operate since then, but flight data shows that it has been diverted from the a part of Myanmar where the turbulence occurred.

According to Flightradar 24, the 2 accomplished flights Since the incident, they’ve flown south of Myanmar over the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. The airline didn’t immediately reply to CNBC's request for comment on the changes.

A 73-year-old Briton died within the incident on Tuesday, presumably of a heart attack. Another 104 passengers were injured, said a spokesman for the Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok. told The Associated Press.

As of Thursday, around 20 passengers with head and spine injuries were still within the intensive care unit, the hospital director said in a press conference. after to AP. Singapore Airlines said in a separate statement that a complete of 44 passengers and two crew members are still in hospital.

Turbulence-related incidents are essentially the most common kind of accident involving business airlines, based on the US National Transportation Safety BoardThis applies to major US airlines in addition to cargo aircraft and regional airlines.

However, serious injuries brought on by turbulence are rare. 163 cases registered between 2009 and 2022, including 129 crew members, based on the NTSB.

The Aviation Safety Network has recorded seven incidents at Singapore Airlines, most recently on one in all the corporate’s flights in October 2000when 83 people died when the plane collided with construction equipment at Taipei's most important airport.

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