SINGAPORE: In the wake of the emergency landing Singapore Airlines SQ321 had to make on May 21 due to sudden and severe turbulence, the flagship carrier announced changes to its cabin rules. Flight SQ321 landed in Thailand 10 hours after taking off in London after the incident left one dead and others injured.
SIA announced on May 24 that it will be taking a “more cautious approach” in managing turbulence, including halting all meal services and having the crew buckle up when the seatbelt sign is lit up.
A May 30 article in The Straits Times recounted how passengers and crew have been affected by the new measures. Some concerns revolve around how the meal service has been affected by the measures since the cabin crew has to stop every time the seatbelt sign is turned on. Such interruptions mean delays for passengers and the need for the crew to make haste to finish the meal service when seatbelt signs are switched off.
One passenger quoted in the piece said he hoped the changes were temporary, while a flight attendant told ST that while some passengers have been understanding regarding the new measures, others have felt short-changed.
When the ST piece was shared on Reddit, however, it sparked a debate among commenters.
Several characterised the new measures as an overreaction on the part of SIA, and some surmised that they will be rolled back after a while. Others agreed, pointing out that the chances of turbulence as severe as what happened to Flight 321 occurring again are very small.
Some users claimed SIA implemented the new measures as a means of damage control or were just for show, with one calling it a “Usual knee jerk reaction.”
Others, however, argued that with global warming, incidents of turbulence are likely to be on the rise. One commenter pointed out that in the week after the SQ321 incident, there have been two other incidents of turbulence, one on Qatar Air and the other on Turkish Airlines, where people on board have been injured.
“Companies are spending billions of extra dollars on designs that feature structural enhancements in future airliners, to oil rig platforms, to commercial and residential building designs.
“It’s inevitable that in-flight procedurals will be modified. This may seem like a clumsy reaction (right now) but it’s what they can do atm. I suspect there’ll be refinements and new SOPs implemented in the near future,” a Reddit user pointed out.
Another wrote, “Guys, a man died, several ended up with severe injuries because of the incident. Most of the world saw the aftermath.”
They questioned, “Can we really blame SIA for their supposedly ‘reactionary’ measures? And we’re worried about in-flight meals and quality of service…”
One Reddit user, meanwhile, suggested that SIA could make flying over the Bay of Bengal, an area known for turbulence, “a 1.5hrs no-service zone,” but added that he hopes the new measures are reversed soon. /TISG
Read also: SIA announces changes to cabin rules after May 21 turbulence fatality