Singapore Airlines, how in-flight service will change (in all classes) after killer turbulence
After condolences and an apology from CEO Goh Choon Phong, new measures came from Singapore Airlines to increase [...]
Singapore Airlines
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After condolences and apologies from CEO Goh Choon Phong, From Singapore Airlines came New measures to enhance the safety of passengers and cabin crew in turbulence, just days after a serious accident involving the company's Boeing 777-300ER flying between London and Singapore.
In this article:
As everyone will remember, Tuesday, May 21, flight SQ321 encountered extreme gravity turbulence while at an elevation of 37,000 feet it was located in the northernmost and easternmost part of the Bay Of Bengal, between Bangladesh and India, near the Irrawaddy River delta.
The jet had 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board, about 80 of whom suffered consequences: 73-year-old British passenger is deceased, while 46 people ended up in hospital in Bangkok, after the 777 had requested to land in the Thai capital so that immediate aid could be provided to the injured.
Of those 46, 20 are still in intensive care due to severe injuries or trauma sustained to the spine and skull after being thrown around in the cabin.
Three days after the incident, Singapore Airlines issued a directive informing that it. A substantial change to cabin service: "In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seat belt sign is on, all kinds of food and drink service will be suspended in the same circumstance," reads a note from the company, which stresses that "a more cautious approach" to on-board service will "better safeguard the safety on board of both our guests and our crews, which is always our priority."
The measure leaves something to be desired, at least in reference to what happened to flight SQ321, considering that at the time the 777 was hit by the turbulence the seatbelt sign was almost certainly off, as about 40% of those on board reported consequences, an indication that they were with their belts unbuckled if not even standing in the cabin.
In any case, those traveling from now on with Singapore Airlines should expect an interruption of in-flight service whenever they turn on the seat belt sign from the cockpit.
Another measure temporarily taken by the company was. A slight change in the route followed by flights between Europe and Singapore, which traversed a more southerly trajectory than that traversed by SQ321 on May 21 between India and Burma.
However, the measure, which was taken on May 22 and 23, was not taken on May 24, as can be seen by following the track of SQ321 in those days on Flightradar24.
Singapore Airlines operates two daily flights between Italy and its Changi hub: from Rome Fiumicino and Milan Malpensa it flies Airbus A350-900s in three classes (Business, Premium Economy and Economy).
