A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore made an emergency landing in Bangkok on Monday after encountering severe turbulence, resulting in one passenger’s death and injuries to several others, the airline has confirmed.
Flight SQ321, a Boeing 777-300ER carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members from 18 different countries, diverted to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and landed at 3:45 PM local time on May 21.
In its latest updates, Singapore Airlines said as of 5:05 AM Singapore time on May 22, 131 passengers and 12 crew members arrived back in Singapore via a relief flight. Transportation and accommodation were arranged.
However, 79 passengers and 6 crew remain in Bangkok, including those receiving medical care and their family members who were also on board.
The airline’s CEO Goh Choon Phong expressed “deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased passenger” and apologized for the “trauma experienced by all passengers and crew.”
A team from Singapore is in Bangkok providing assistance. The airline is cooperating fully with authorities investigating the incident.
Passenger Dzafran Azmir described a terrifying scene to Reuters, with those not wearing seatbelts hitting overhead bins, damaging the interior.
Singapore Airlines revealed the passenger nationalities included 56 Australians, 5 Filipinos, 47 British, 41 Singaporeans among others.
Severe turbulence can violently shake aircraft, causing serious injuries if passengers and crew are not properly restrained. While fatalities are rare, it is a leading cause of injuries on flights.
Some research suggests clear-air turbulence frequency and intensity could rise in coming decades due to changing atmospheric wind patterns from climate change.
Singapore Airlines has set up a hotline at +65 6542 3311 for relatives seeking information and said it will provide updates on social media.
The carrier has an excellent overall safety record but did experience a fatal crash in 2000 in Taiwan that killed 83 people.
Editor’s Note: The article has been updated to reflect the latest update from Singapore Airlines, which was released on May 22nd at 5:05 AM.
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