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 Brit was killed.
Father-of-two Geoff Kitchen suffered a suspected heart attack on board flight SQ321, while several other passengers and crew from London suffered skull, brain and spine injuries during the terrifying 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 out emails offering US$10,000 in compensation to passengers who sustained minor injuries during the incident – with the airline set to discuss higher payouts with individuals who were more severely hurt.
‘For those who sustained more serious injuries… 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 airline said.
The interior of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Thailand, May 21, 2024
Geoff Kitchen, 73, suffered a suspected heart attack on board flight SQ321, while several other passengers and crew from London suffered skull, brain and spine injuries during the terrifying 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 medically assessed as having sustained serious injuries, requiring long-term medical care, and requesting financial assistance are offered an advance payment of US$25,000 to address their immediate needs.
‘This will be part of the final compensation that these passengers will receive.’
In addition, the carrier said it would refund fares for all passengers who were on board the flight, including those who were not injured.
‘All passengers will also receive delay compensation in accordance with the relevant European Union or United Kingdom regulations,’ it said.
As of Tuesday, 11 passengers from the flight were still receiving treatment in hospitals in Bangkok, a SIA spokesperson told AFP.
Under the Montreal Convention, airlines are liable for damages for the injury or death of passengers while on an airplane.
‘The compensation amounts are determined by the severity of each passenger’s injuries, based on the information provided thus far by the respective medical institutions,’ the spokesperson said.
‘We recognise that passengers with more serious injuries may require further support tailored to their individual circumstances.’
SIA earlier gave Sg$1,000 (£580) to each passenger departing Bangkok for their final destination to cover their immediate expenses.
It has also been shouldering the medical expenses of the injured passengers, and had arranged for their family members to fly to Bangkok when requested.
‘SIA remains committed to supporting the affected passengers who were on board SQ321,’ the airline said.
Singapore’s transport ministry has said a sudden 54-metre (177-foot) altitude drop caused unbelted passengers on the flight to be thrown violently inside the cabin.
The aircraft experienced a ‘rapid change’ in gravitational force, or G-force, while it was passing over the south of Myanmar, the ministry said, citing a preliminary report by Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau.
The investigation 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 Mr Kitchen had helped fundraise for local businesses during the pandemic with a local musical theatre group, and he and his wife spent the weekend with their grandchildren before jetting off for their ‘trip of a lifetime’.
The retired insurance worker and his wife, from Thonbury, near Bristol, were heading abroad on a six-week holiday of a lifetime to South East Asia, Indonesia and Australia when disaster struck around 11 hours into their flight from Heathrow.
A friend of the couple told the BBC they ‘loved to travel’ and were ‘very excited’ for the trip, which would see them embark on a cruise in Indonesia before travelling to Australia.
Lizzie Atkins also described him as ‘the most wonderful human being that you could ever know’.
Ms Atkins, a fellow member of Bristol-based Thornbury musical theatre group, said: ‘He would do anything for you. He was just amazing.’
Singapore’s transport ministry has said a sudden 54-metre (177-foot) altitude drop caused unbelted passengers on the flight to be thrown violently inside the cabin
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: ‘He was just a remarkable man, really.
‘He was stable and reliable, and you always knew you were in safe hands with Geoff.
‘He had a really dry sense of humour and had a twinkle in his eye and every time you saw him you just knew that he was going to make a funny joke.’
She added: ‘He was the most wonderful human being that you could ever know, one of the top ones.’
