A Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore made an emergency landing in Bangkok on Tuesday after encountering severe turbulence.
The Boeing 777 aircraft, carrying more than 200 passengers, was headed from Heathrow Airport to Singapore Changi Airport when it experienced turbulence. The incident occurred around 15:45 local time (09:45 GMT), prompting an urgent diversion to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
The turbulence claimed the life of at least one passenger. Singapore Airlines has not provided specific details on the number of injured individuals. Media outlets report that over 20 people sustained injuries. Reports indicate that several passengers received first aid for head wounds at the scene.
Upon the aircraft’s emergency landing, over 10 ambulances were dispatched to Suvarnabhumi Airport. The injured were transported to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok.
Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed the aircraft cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet before it suddenly descended to 31,000 feet over approximately three minutes just after 08:00 GMT.
Singapore Airlines assured that safety remains their utmost priority and that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.
This incident comes amid a noticeable rise in reports of turbulence-related emergencies on flights, particularly in the United States. Recent headlines have highlighted a series of similar occurrences.
In March, a Lufthansa flight travelling from Texas to Germany was forced to divert to Dulles Airport in Washington, DC, due to severe turbulence. This event resulted in seven passengers sustaining injuries. Just a few months earlier, in December, a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Phoenix to Honolulu experienced such severe turbulence that it led to the hospitalisation of 20 passengers. In another incident involving Hawaiian Airlines, a flight from Honolulu to Sydney encountered turbulence in July, causing injuries to seven passengers.
Similarly, in August, a Delta flight nearing its descent into Atlanta hit a turbulent patch, which resulted in 11 passengers being hospitalised.
The types of injuries reported in these incidents and the recent Singapore Airlines emergency landing include lacerations, head trauma, broken bones, and loss of consciousness. These injuries have been predominantly among passengers who were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the turbulence.
Singapore Airlines is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading airlines, known for its exemplary safety record and high standards of service. The airline has not experienced any major incidents in recent years. The last major accident involving Singapore Airlines occurred on 31 October 2000. A flight from Singapore to Los Angeles via Taipei crashed into construction equipment at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after attempting to take off from the wrong runway, resulting in the deaths of 83 out of the 179 people on board.
