Singapore Airlines changes seat belt rules and route after deadly turbulence

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has changed seatbelt rules and rerouted at least one flight after extreme turbulence left one passenger dead and dozens hospitalized.

A 73-year-old British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens of other passengers were injured on Tuesday when a flight from London to Singapore was rocked by severe turbulence and was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok.

Following the incident, Singapore's national carrier took a "more cautious approach in managing turbulence on board", SIA said in a statement on Friday.

Under the revised policy, meals will no longer be served when the "fasten seatbelt" sign is on, the airline said. Flight attendants will also continue to secure all loose items and equipment during inclement weather and advise passengers to return to their seats and fasten their seatbelts.

“Pilots and flight attendants are aware of the dangers associated with turbulence. They are also trained to support customers and ensure cabin safety during flights,” an SIA spokesperson said.

“SIA will continue to review its processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of paramount importance.”

SIA also avoided flying over Myanmar, which was hit by turbulence, on its trip from London to Singapore, preferring to fly over the Bay of Bengal, according to route data from flight tracking site Flightradar24.

During the Tuesday incident, the passengers were crushed by the ceiling and personal property of the plane, and food was thrown into the cabin.

46 passengers and two crew members, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines, were treated at a hospital in Bangkok at the end of Thursday. Adinun Kittiratanapaybul, director of the Samityj Srinakarin hospital in Bangkok, told reporters that more than 20 of them were in intensive care with damage to the spinal cord, brain and skull.