Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong issued a public apology following a tragic incident on flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, where one passenger died and approximately 70 others were injured due to severe turbulence.
In a video message, Mr. Goh Choon Phong expressed deep regret for the traumatic experience endured by everyone onboard the flight. The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, encountered sudden extreme turbulence at an altitude of 37,000 feet.
A relief flight transported 143 passengers and crew members who were able to travel back to Singapore, while 79 passengers and six crew members, including those receiving medical care and their family members, remained in Bangkok.
The incident occurred when the flight, departing from Heathrow Airport in London, experienced severe turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar, prompting an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Photographs from inside the plane revealed significant damage to the cabin, with large gashes in overhead panels and dislodged gas masks. Passengers described harrowing scenes, with some sustaining injuries from hitting their heads on cabin fixtures during the turbulence.
Amid the tragedy, a 73-year-old British man passed away, likely due to a heart attack, while seven others sustained critical injuries, including head injuries, according to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn.
The Singapore Airlines CEO assured affected passengers of the airline’s support during this challenging time.
