Singapore Airlines to compensate passengers on turbulence flights

Singapore Airlines said on Tuesday (June 11) that it will compensate passengers injured in the severe turbulence incident on its flight three weeks ago, resulting in the death and injury of passengers. Those with minor injuries will receive $10,000.

(Deutsche Welle Chinese website) Singapore Airlines has announced a preliminary compensation plan for the accident last month when its passenger plane encountered severe turbulence, resulting in the deaths and injuries of passengers.

How to compensate?

According to the plan, all passengers on board will have their tickets fully refunded, and all passengers will also receive delay compensation in accordance with relevant EU or UK regulations. Injured passengers will receive different amounts of compensation depending on the severity of their injuries. Passengers with minor injuries will receive $10,000 in compensation; for passengers with more serious injuries, Singapore Airlines will negotiate with them to develop a compensation plan that suits the specific circumstances. Prior to this, Singapore Airlines will prepay $25,000 for urgent needs to passengers who are medically assessed to have serious injuries, require long-term medical care, and request financial assistance, and this fee will be part of the final compensation.

Singapore Airlines has provided 1,000 Singapore dollars (US$739) to each passenger on board to cover their emergency expenses in Bangkok.

Event Backstory

On May 20, flight SQ321 from London Heathrow Airport to Singapore encountered extreme turbulence at 37,000 feet above the Irrawaddy Basin about 10 hours after takeoff , resulting in the death of a 73-year-old British man from a suspected heart attack and dozens of head and back injuries . The pilot declared an emergency medical condition and diverted to Thailand. The flight made an emergency landing in Bangkok at 15:45 local time on May 21. The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft carried a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members.

According to preliminary investigations, the plane was shaken violently after encountering turbulence, causing injuries to passengers who were not wearing seat belts. The investigation department said that the plane dropped 54 meters in less than a second, “which may cause passengers who were not wearing seat belts to be thrown into the air and then fall down. This incident also makes people pay attention to the problem of improper wearing of seat belts.