Singapore Airlines has sent compensation offers of USD 10,000 to USD 25,000 to the passengers of its London-Singapore flight SQ321, which was hit by extreme turbulence, resulting in injuries and one death.
The offer of USD 10,000 is for SQ321 passengers with “minor injuries” and the offer of USD 25,000 as “advance payment” is for passengers with “more serious injuries”. The latter have been invited by the airline to discuss “their specific circumstances”, which indicates that their final compensation might go up.
Flight SQ321 had taken off from London late in the night (local time) on May 20. Following the extreme turbulence incident while flying over South East Asia on its way to Singapore, the aircraft made an emergency landing at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport on May 21.
Injured passengers and crew members received treatment in the Thai capital city for several days. A British man died because of the turbulence.
A Facebook post today on the Singapore Airlines official page gave details of the compensation offers. The post began with an apology: “Singapore Airlines (SIA) deeply apologises to all passengers for the traumatic experience on board flight SQ321 on 20 May 2024. We are committed to providing our full support and assistance during this time.”
Besides the compensation amount offered to the injured passengers, all the SQ321 fliers would get a full refund of their London-Singapore airfare, said the post.
The SIA post said: “For passengers who sustained minor injuries from the incident, we have offered US$10,000 in compensation.
“For those who sustained more serious injuries from the incident, 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. 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 to the above, SIA will provide a full refund of the air fare to all passengers travelling on SQ321 on 20 May 2024, including those who did not suffer any injuries. All passengers will also receive delay compensation in accordance with the relevant European Union or United Kingdom regulations.”
Passengers who were not injured received a cash payment for their expenses after reaching Singapore. The airline’s post informed: “We provided all passengers with S$1,000 each to meet their immediate expenses upon departure from Bangkok. SIA has also been covering the medical expenses of the injured passengers, and arranged for their family members and loved ones to fly up to Bangkok where requested.”
Stating that the compensation offers had been communicated to the passengers, the Facebook post said: “All affected passengers should have received their offers of compensation via e-mail, along with information on how they may proceed with their claims. For any inquiries or further assistance, passengers may contact us using the provided details, and we will address these promptly. SIA remains committed to supporting the affected passengers who were on board SQ321.”