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Singapore Airlines (OTCPK:SINGY) on Friday revised its in-flight operating procedure as the airline took on a “more cautious approach to managing turbulence in-flight” following an incident that resulted in one fatality and multiple injuries.
Announcing changes to its cabin service rules, the carrier said it will halt all beverage and meal services and get all cabin crew to buckle up as and when the seat belt signs are turned on during periods of turbulence.
The tweaks come following an incident on Tuesday when Flight SQ321 experienced severe rough air currents over Myanmar, which caused the Boeing 777 jet heading to Singapore from London to rapidly lose altitude.
A 73-year-old British man died on account of a heart attack during the incident, while another 104 passengers were injured as the turbulence caused people who weren’t wearing their seatbelts to hit the plane’s overhead bins. The flight made an emergency landing in Bangkok.
Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital said about 48 passengers that were still hospitalized included those with spinal or spinal cord damage, skull or brain injuries, and damage to bones or internal organs.