Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Tuesday extended financial assistance and complete reimbursement of the airfare to the 211 passengers who were on the airline’s turbulence-hit London to Singapore flight last month, which resulted in one passenger’s death and injured many others.
On May 21, Flight SQ321 en route from London to Singapore experienced extreme turbulence. At Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, made an emergency landing.
Passengers and crew were thrown up to the plane’s ceiling before falling back down, which led to the death of one man and injuries to dozens of others.
The SIA stated in a statement that passengers received compensation offers on Monday. Compensation of USD 10,000 (SGD 13,500) was offered to those who suffered “minor injuries” in that incident.
“For those who sustained more serious injuries from the incident, we have invited them to discuss a compensation offer to meet each of their specific circumstances when they feel well and ready to do so,” the statement read.
“Passengers medically assessed as having sustained serious injuries, requiring long-term medical care, and requesting financial assistance are offered an advance payment of USD 25,000 to address their immediate needs,” the SIA said.
“This will be part of the final compensation that these passengers will receive, it added.
All passengers on Flight SQ321 will receive a full refund of their airfare, even if they were not injured.
As per the United Kingdom or European Union guidelines, they would also be provided with delay compensation, the SIA said. However, there was no mention of compensation for the 18 crew members on Flight SQ321.
The national airline of Singapore stated that all passengers received SGD 1,000 each to cover their immediate expenditures upon departure from Bangkok. It further stated that, upon request, it provided for the family members of injured passengers to travel to Bangkok and covered their medical bills.
According to the statement, SIA is still dedicated to helping the impacted customers who were travelling on SQ321. It further stated that all impacted passengers ought to have received offers of compensation via email, along with details on how to pursue their claims.
A British passenger Geoff Kitchen, 73, died on board, likely due to a heart attack, whereas others suffered brain and spinal cord injuries.
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