- Singapore Airlines CEO praised staff after turbulence incident
- Incident diverted London-Singapore flight, causing one death
- Airline continues supporting injured passengers and personnel
Goh Choon Pong, the CEO of Singapore Airlines, has expressed his gratitude to the airline’s employees for their diligent efforts in the aftermath of a severe turbulence incident that resulted in the death of a British man and the injury of tens of others.
“The past five days have been tough for all employees at Singapore Airlines.”
The message was issued in response to an incident over the Indian Ocean on May 21, which resulted in the divert of flight SQ321 from London to Singapore to Bangkok, Thailand.
On Sunday, the Boeing B777-ER was returned to Singapore.
Mr. Goh’s memo stated that our agility, dedication, and team spirit were readily apparent during this period.
Additionally, he expressed his gratitude on behalf of the [Singapore Airlines] Board and the entire management team from the depths of his heart.
Last Tuesday, flight SQ321 was diverted to Bangkok due to a medical emergency. The aircraft was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.
Geoff Kitchen, a 73-year-old from Gloucestershire, passed away from a suspected heart attack after the aircraft was struck by turbulence. Additionally, over 100 individuals were treated at a hospital in the Thai capital.
The passengers and crew not severely injured in the incident were flown to Singapore early the following day.
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The memo also stated that the airline continues assisting injured passengers and personnel and that Mr. Goh visited the hospital last week.
During a video address following the incident, Mr Goh extended his most sincere condolences to Mr Kitchen’s family and apologised to all those impacted.
Lawrence Wong, the Prime Minister of Singapore, also extended his condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, stating that his country was “cooperating closely with Thai authorities.”
He stated that the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau of Singapore would comprehensively investigate the incident.
Singapore Airlines is consistently ranked among the world’s finest carriers, and accidents involving the airline are exceedingly uncommon.
In 2000, a Boeing 747 collided at a Taiwan airport while attempting to take off from the incorrect runway, resulting in the most recent fatal accident.
Of the 179 individuals on board, approximately 83 were fatally injured.
