SQ321 turbulence: Singapore Airlines apologises after injured passenger complains about carrier's silence
Australian passenger Keith Davis, who was injured on Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 that was battered by severe turbulence, talks to reporters at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 23, 2024. (Photo: AP/Sakchai Lalit)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) apologised on Thursday (May 23) to an injured SQ321 passenger after he complained that the national carrier had not been forthcoming with information after the severe turbulence incident.
He had claimed that he did not receive information on whether he would be able to make an insurance claim, and that his wife, who is in intensive care, needed a medical evacuation.
Australian citizen Keith Davis and his wife had been on flight SQ321 from London when it encountered sudden and extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar on Tuesday, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, Thailand.
One passenger died from a heart attack during the incident while many others were injured, with some in intensive care.
Speaking to media at Bangkok’s Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital from a wheelchair and with his head bandaged, Mr Davis said: "No information from Singapore at all, not a single word."
“I need to know, am I going through my insurance? I got no idea. I’m totally in limbo. My wife’s in ICU (intensive care unit), she’s in ICU, she needs a medevac (medical evacuation).”
Responding to queries from CNA, SIA on Thursday said it "apologises to Mr Keith Davis and his wife, and is providing them with the necessary support and assistance they need during this difficult time".
The airline said that a customer care representative, who is a staff volunteer trained for such situations, has been in touch with the couple to provide updates and assistance.
SIA added it has made arrangements for Mr Davis' family members and loved ones to travel to Bangkok.
A total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members were on board the Boeing 777-300ER when it hit a sudden and extreme patch of turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar at 37,000 feet.
Dozens of passengers were injured, with some suffering from brain and spinal cord injuries.
A 73-year-old British passenger, Mr Geoff Kitchen, died on the flight. Neighbours told reporters that he was headed for the "holiday of a lifetime" with his wife. Mr Kitchen's wife was among those taken to hospital in Bangkok.
SIA said on Thursday evening that 46 passengers and two crew members are still in hospital receiving medical treatment.
"The well-being of our passengers and crew members remains our priority," said SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong, who met affected passengers and crew members in Bangkok.
"I have given them my personal assurance that we will take care of them during this difficult time."
A total of 131 passengers and 12 crew members who were on board SQ321 arrived in Singapore on a relief flight early on Wednesday morning.
On the issue of compensation, an unnamed passenger who was on the relief flight claimed in a report that an SIA staff member offered monetary compensation to passengers before the plane left Bangkok for Singapore on Wednesday. He said he received S$1,000 in a white SIA envelope.
The airline did not address CNA's queries on this matter.
