A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore crashed into an air pocket on Tuesday
New Delhi:
The CEO of Singapore Airlines on Wednesday issued a public apology after a passenger died and 30 others were injured due to severe turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore.
In a video message, Goh Choon Phong said he was “very sorry for the traumatic experience” that everyone on board the flight, SQ321, went through on Tuesday.
A Singapore Airlines flight, operating from London to Singapore, encountered sudden extreme turbulence at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The Boeing 777-300ER plane was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.
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“On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through,” said Mr Phong.
He said Singapore Airlines is committed to providing all necessary support and assistance to passengers and crew who were on board SQ321. He also said that they are also “fully cooperating” with the relevant authorities in the investigations.
Phong said a relief flight with 143 passengers and crew from SQ321, who were able to travel, arrived in Singapore this morning. Another 79 passengers and six crew from SQ321, including those who received medical care and their families who were on the flight, remain in Bangkok, he said.
“Rest assured that Singapore Airlines is here to help and support you during this difficult time,” said Phong.
Terror on Singapore Airlines flight
Singapore Airlines said its flight, which took off from London Heathrow Airport on Monday to Singapore, “encountered severe turbulence” en route.
The flight fell into an air pocket while the cabin crew was serving breakfast before encountering turbulence, prompting the pilots to request an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where it landed at 3:45 p.m. local time. Tuesday.
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The airline said the sudden turbulence occurred in Myanmar’s Irrawaddy Basin, about 10 hours into the flight.
Photographs of the plane’s interior showed large cuts in the upper cabin panels, gas masks and panels hanging from the ceiling.
The interior of the Singapore Airlines flight after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport
Photo credit: REUTERS
One passenger said some people’s heads hit the lights above the seats and punctured the panels during the turbulence.
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn said a 73-year-old British man died during the incident, likely due to a heart attack. Seven people were seriously injured, some with head injuries, he told a news conference.
This story originally appeared on Ndtv.com read the full story
