Singapore Airlines bans meal service during turbulence after incident

• Singapore Airlines has announced that meals will no longer be served if the seat belt light is on.
• Previously, one passenger had died and dozens of others were injured on a flight due to severe turbulence.
• Singapore’s swift action to protect the safety of its people and customers is wise and commendable.

Singapore Airlines flight crew will no longer serve meals when the seat belt light is illuminated.

Following a fatal turbulence incident on one of its flights on May 21, Singapore’s national airline changed its in-flight service policies to ensure the safety of its staff and passengers.

The airline’s ban on serving meals during turbulence complements its existing policies, which already prohibit the serving of hot drinks in rough conditions.

The policy change is a smart way to send a message to customers that the airline is committed to keeping them safe. It also sends a message to the airline’s flight crew that their employer cares about their safety.

It’s not funny when your seatmate’s omelet falls on your face, but being thrown into the air by turbulence while pushing a metal cart can cause serious injury. A flight attendant’s primary job is not to serve drinks or dinner. They are onboard safety experts. Their job is 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 that is compromised if they were injured during meal service.

Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 encountered sudden, severe turbulence at 37,000 feet above the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar about 10 hours into its journey from London to Singapore. The Boeing 777-300ER, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, was diverted to Thailand and landed safely in Bangkok.

The incident left more than 40 injured passengers and crew hospitalized, and one passenger, a 73-year-old British man, died. According to Bangkok hospital officials, 22 of those people suffered spinal injuries, while six others suffered skull or brain injuries.

All airlines have a contingency plan in place in case the unimaginable happens. Just like with the quality of service on flights, some airlines have it better under control than others.

In this case, Singapore Airlines responded quickly on social media, posting a series of updates with clear and concise information about the incident. This was followed by action by flying a team of Singapore staff to Bangkok at short notice to provide additional on-site staff, and setting up dedicated customer service teams trained to deal with crisis situations. Singapore Airlines also organised emergency flights to get uninjured passengers to their destination, while also flying the families of the injured to Bangkok.

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

Singapore Airlines’ response to the incident so far deserves praise. Crisis response is difficult even under the best of circumstances. It is remarkable that they were able to execute their plan so competently on foreign soil.