Singapore Airlines made a smart move after deadly turbulence

The policy change smartly signals to customers the airline’s willingness to act to ensure their safety. In addition, it sends a message to the company’s flight attendants that their employer has their safety in mind.

Getting hit in the face by your seatmate’s omelet is not fun, but being flung aloft by turbulence while pushing a metal cart can result in serious injuries. The primary job of a flight attendant isn’t to serve drinks or dinner. They are in-flight safety professionals. It’s their job to work as a team to get you off the plane quickly and safely in the event of an emergency. And their ability to do so is compromised if they’ve been injured during meal service.

Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321, about 10 hours into its journey from London to Singapore, encountered sudden, severe turbulence while cruising 37,000 feet above over the Irrawaddy basin in Myanmar. The Boeing 777-300ER, which had 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board, diverted to Thailand and landed safely in Bangkok.

More than 40 injured passengers and crew members were hospitalized, and one passenger, a 73-year-old British man, died. According to hospital officials in Bangkok, 22 of those people suffered spinal injuries, while another six suffered skull or brain injuries.

All airlines have a response plan for when the unimaginable happens. Just like the quality of service on flights, some airlines have their act together more than others.

In this case, Singapore responded quickly on social media, posting a series of updates that offered clear and concise information. It followed that up with action by quickly flying a team of staff from Singapore to Bangkok for additional help on the ground and standing up dedicated customer-service teams trained in handling crisis situations. Singapore Airlines also organized emergency flights to get uninjured passengers to their destinations, while flying the families of the injured to Bangkok.

Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong has also met with customers, crew, and their families in Bangkok, the airline said.

Singapore Airlines’ response thus far should be commended. Crisis response is difficult in the best of situations. It’s remarkable that it could execute its plan so capably on foreign soil.