Singapore Airlines SIA announced Tuesday that it had offered $10,000 in compensation to passengers who suffered minor injuries during a flight hit by extreme turbulence last month.
The incident, which occurred on flight SQ321 from London to Singapore, resulted in a 73-year-old British man’s death and left several others with skull, brain, and spine injuries. The pilots diverted the Boeing 777-300ER to Bangkok, where the injured were hospitalized.
The SIA has offered $10,000 to passengers with minor injuries. Passengers with serious injuries requiring long-term care have been offered an advance payment of $25,000 to address immediate needs, with the final compensation to be determined later. The airline noted it will refund airfares for all passengers and provide delay compensation according to EU or UK regulations.
As of Tuesday, 11 passengers were still hospitalized in Bangkok. The Singapore Transport Ministry attributed the incident to a sudden 54-meter altitude drop over Myanmar, causing unbelted passengers to be violently thrown inside the cabin.