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Earlier this week, I wrote about Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) hit severe turbulence en route and was forced to divert to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The turbulence was so intense that one passenger died and as many as 71 others were injured. In light of the incident, Singapore Airlines is making some changes to its in-cabin service to keep flight attendants safer when the seatbelt sign is illuminated.
Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route. The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024.
We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on…
— Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir) May 21, 2024
Channel News Asia reports that the scary incident has made the Singaporean carrier reconsider its current service practices and some changes are being enacted. Effective immediately, Singapore is suspending all service when the seatbelt sign is on. A Spokesperson for the airline released this statement:
In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seat belt sign is on, the meal service will also be suspended. Crew members will also continue to advise passengers to return to their seats and secure their seat belts. They will also monitor customers who may require assistance, including those in the lavatories.
Pilots and cabin crew are aware of the hazards associated with turbulence. They are also trained to assist customers and ensure cabin safety throughout the flight. SIA will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance.”
I commend Singapore for this move as turbulence can strike at any time and flight attendants with beverage carts and glassware risk injury during periods of turbulence. The loss of life and severe injuries from this flight have led to these changes and while some might think this is an overreaction, any bit of additional safety is a good thing. Now, that being said, i will be up to the pilots to not just leave the seatbelt sign on for the entire flight as this will deprive passengers of service and will be a bit of overkill.
Anthony’s Take: Singapore is changing its service policies after the loss of life and injuries that occurred earlier this week. We’ll see how this plays out, but in practice it seems logical to have flight attendants seated while the seatbelt sign is illuminated. I think this will work out okay at an airline like Singapore where service is generally excellent. If other airlines adopt similar policies, I can see issues with flight attendants seeing this as a way to do less.
(Image Credits: Luca lRhh and Troy Mortier.)
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1 comment
I certainly understand that flight attendants are more skilled at moving around an airplane than I am but I never understood why they were so active during times when the fasten seat belt sign was on. Certainly they may need to do specific duties or respond to significant passenger requests but if it is worth having the fasten seat belt sign everyone should be seated and belted as much as possible. Plus I know psychologically passengers won’t think it is much of a risk to use the restroom, etc… even when the fasten seat belt sign is on when the flight attendants are acting the same as they would if it were off.