Singapore Airlines passengers will receive $10,000 in compensation for injuries suffered on a flight hit by extreme turbulence last month in which a 73-year-old Briton died.
Father-of-two Geoff Kitchen suffered a suspected heart attack aboard flight SQ321, while several other London passengers and crew suffered skull, brain and spinal injuries during the high-altitude ordeal.
The pilots diverted the Singapore-bound Boeing 777-300ER carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew to Bangkok, where the injured were taken to hospitals.
In a statement on Tuesday, Singapore Airlines (SIA) said it had sent emails offering US$10,000 in compensation to passengers who suffered minor injuries during the incident, and that the airline was set to discuss higher payments with people who were injured. more seriously injured.
“For those who suffered more serious injuries… we have invited you to discuss a compensation offer to address each of your specific circumstances when you feel well and ready to do so,” the airline said.
The interior of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 after an emergency landing at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 21, 2024.
Geoff Kitchen, 73, suffered a suspected heart attack aboard flight SQ321, while several other London passengers and crew suffered skull, brain and spinal injuries during the high-altitude ordeal.
Singapore Airlines passengers will receive $10,000 in compensation for injuries suffered on a flight hit by extreme turbulence last month.
‘Passengers who, based on a medical assessment, have suffered serious injuries, require long-term medical care and request financial assistance, are offered an advance payment of US$25,000 to address their immediate needs.
“This will be part of the final compensation these passengers will receive.”
Additionally, the airline said it would refund fees to all passengers who were on board the flight, including those who were not injured.
“All passengers will also receive delay compensation in accordance with relevant EU or UK regulations,” it said.
As of Tuesday, 11 passengers on the flight were still receiving treatment in Bangkok hospitals, an SIA spokesperson told AFP.
Under the Montreal Convention, airlines are liable for damages caused by the injury or death of passengers while on an aircraft.
“The compensation amounts are determined based on the severity of each passenger’s injuries, based on the information provided so far by the respective medical institutions,” the spokesperson said.
“We recognize that passengers with more serious injuries may require more support tailored to their individual circumstances.”
Previously, SIA gave S$1,000 (£580) to each passenger leaving Bangkok for their final destination to cover their immediate expenses.
It has also shouldered the medical expenses of the injured passengers and arranged for their families to fly to Bangkok upon request.
“SIA remains committed to supporting the affected passengers who were on board SQ321,” the airline said.
Singapore’s Transport Ministry has said that a sudden drop in altitude of 54 meters (177 feet) caused passengers who were not wearing seat belts on the flight to be violently thrown into the cabin.
The plane experienced a “rapid change” in gravitational force, or G-force, as it passed over southern Myanmar, the ministry said, citing a preliminary report from Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.
The investigative team included experts from the TSIB, the US National Transportation Safety Board, the US Federal Aviation Administration and the plane’s manufacturer, Boeing.
Following his death, it was revealed that Kitchen had helped raise funds for local businesses during the pandemic with a local musical theater group, and that he and his wife spent the weekend with their grandchildren before embarking on the “trip of a lifetime.” “.
The retired insurance worker and his wife, from Thonbury, near Bristol, were heading overseas on a six-week holiday to South East Asia, Indonesia and Australia when disaster struck about 11 hours into their flight from Heathrow.
A friend of the couple told the BBC that they “loved to travel” and were “very excited” about the trip, which would see them embark on a cruise in Indonesia before traveling to Australia.
Lizzie Atkins also described him as “the most wonderful human being you will ever meet.”
Mrs Atkins, a member of Bristol-based Thornbury musical theater group, said: “He would do anything for you.” “It was just amazing.”
Singapore’s Transport Ministry has said that a sudden drop in altitude of 54 meters (177 feet) caused passengers who were not wearing seat belts on the flight to be violently thrown into the cabin.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “He was actually an extraordinary man.”
“He was stable and reliable, and you always knew you were in good hands with Geoff.
“He had a very dry sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye and every time you saw him you knew he was going to make a funny joke.”
He added: “He was the most wonderful human being you could ever meet, one of the best.”
