The Sibu Airport is expected to witness an increase of a maximum of 300 passengers per week with the start of Scoot’s new service.
| Photo Credit: Adithya Narayan

Scoot, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, will be offering non-stop services from Singapore to Malaysia’s Sibu starting with the inaugural flight that took off on June 5. With three weekly flights to the city on Borneo Island, the budget carrier plans to serve visitors from the Asian financial hub, who form the third biggest group of tourists to the city.

Borneo is the third largest island in the world after Greenland and New Guinea. It comprises the tiny nation of Brunei along with Indonesia’s Kalimantan State, and Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak States. Sibu and Miri, which belong to Sarawak, and Kuantan, part of peninsular Malaysia, are served by Scoot’s Embraer E-190 E2 aircraft from Singapore.

In the process, the Embraer E2 will play second fiddle to Scoot’s fleet of Boeing 787s and Airbus 320s, flying to non-metro secondary cities that also include the likes of Hat Yai, Krabi and Koh Samui in Thailand. The addition of the 112-seater aircraft to the fleet is part of Scoot’s plan to increase regional connectivity.

The airline plans to capitalise on Singapore’s proximity to Borneo, which can improve accessibility to cities on the island. The company is also counting on the new air route to bolster its operations at the Singapore hub.

For Sarawak, it is an opportunity to showcase its culture. Malaysia’s biggest State‘s demography is a mix of 34 ethnic tribes such as the Ibans and the Malay population. In comparison, Sibu has a strong Fuzhou presence — the people who migrated from Fuzhou in China. This eclectic mix can work in favour of Sibu and Sarawak for it offers visitors a glimpse of multiple cultures on a single trip.

The Sibu airport currently handles over 2,000 passengers a day. Officials at the Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) believe this number can go up by a maximum of 300 passengers per week with the start of Scoot’s services. They believe Sibu’s relatively lesser-known stature also works in its favour as it makes the city more affordable and exciting compared to other popular destinations in Southeast Asia.

Going forward, Scoot is observing and monitoring the number and type of visitors travelling to and from Sibu to adjust flight frequencies to better match supply to demand.

The writer was in Sibu at the invitation of Scoot

The interior of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, in Bangkok, Thailand on May 21, 2024 in this handout image.
| Photo Credit: Handout via Reuters

Rapid changes in the gravitational force led to a 178-feet (54-meter) altitude drop of a Singapore Airlines flight that left one passenger dead and many others who were not buckled up injured in extreme turbulence last week, a preliminary investigation by Singapore’s Transport Ministry said on May 29.

A 73-year-old British man died of a suspected heart attack and dozens were injured after the Boeing 777, which was flying from London’s Heathrow airport to Singapore on May 21, ran into turbulence that hurled people and items around the cabin. The plane, with 211 passengers and 18 crew members, made an emergency landing in Bangkok.

Also read: Why was Singapore flight turbulence severe? | Explained

Singapore’s Transport Ministry said investigators, including those from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, had compiled a chronology of events based on the preliminary analysis of the flight’s data and cockpit voice recorders.

Early findings showed the aircraft was passing over the south of Myanmar at 37,000 feet (11,277 meters) feet when it began to experience vibration due to changes in the gravitational force, the Ministry said. The plane then climbed to an altitude of up to 37,362 feet (11,387 meters) and increased speed possibly due to an updraft, it said. The plane’s autopilot then sought to pitch the jet downwards to its earlier altitude.

“The aircraft experienced a rapid change in G (gravitational force) … this likely resulted in the occupants who were not belted up to become airborne” before falling back down later as the plane rose and fell, the ministry said. “The rapid changes in G over the 4.6 second duration resulted in an altitude drop of 178 feet … this sequence of events likely caused the injuries to the crew and passengers.”

During the turbulence, it said a pilot was heard calling out saying the fasten seat belt sign had been switched on. It said recorded data indicated the pilots manually controlled the plane for 21 seconds to stabilize it before reengaging the autopilot.

The plane made a normal, controlled descent and didn’t encounter further turbulence until it landed in Bangkok almost an hour later, the ministry said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

Passengers have described the “sheer terror” of the aircraft shuddering, loose items flying and injured people lying paralyzed on the floor of the plane.

Twenty-six people remained hospitalized in Bangkok on Wednesday. Hospital authorities earlier said injuries included spinal or spinal cord damage, skull or brain injuries and damage to bones or internal organs.

It was unclear what caused the turbulence. Most people associate turbulence with heavy storms, but the most dangerous type is so-called clear air turbulence. Wind shear can occur in wispy cirrus clouds or even in clear air near thunderstorms, as differences in temperature and pressure create powerful currents of fast-moving air.

According to a 2021 report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, turbulence accounted for 37.6% of all accidents on larger commercial airlines between 2009 and 2018. The Federal Aviation Administration has said there were 146 serious injuries from turbulence from 2009 to 2021.

The interior of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 is pictured after an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, in Bangkok, Thailand May 21, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Singaporean investigators are analysing a cockpit voice recorder and a flight data recorder after one passenger died and more than 100 were injured when a Singapore Airlines plane hit severe turbulence this week, the country’s transport minister said on Friday.

Passengers and crew aboard flight SQ321 suffered skull, brain and spine injuries when they were thrown violently around the cabin during Tuesday’s terrifying high-altitude ordeal.

The London-to-Singapore flight carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew was forced to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, where at least 48 people are still being treated in hospital.

Flight tracking data shows the Boeing 777-300ER plunged 1,800 metres (6,000 feet) in just a few minutes, with passengers saying it happened so suddenly there was no time for many to fasten their seatbelts.

“We have a team that went to Bangkok and they have obtained the data from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder,” Singapore’s Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in a statement.

“They are going through the data from these two recorders now to be able to ascertain what happened during those moments. So, we await investigation findings to understand what happened during that time.”

Singapore Airlines said earlier on Friday it has tightened seatbelt rules on its flights after the incident and that it has introduced a “more cautious approach” to turbulence.

“In addition to the suspension of hot beverage service when the seat belt sign is on, the meal service will also be suspended,” it said in a statement to AFP.

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

Investigators from the United States have also travelled to Thailand to investigate the cause of the incident.

Air safety experts have told AFP that passengers are often too casual about wearing seatbelts, leaving them at risk if the plane hits unexpected turbulence.

Scientists also warn that so-called clear air turbulence, which is invisible to radar, is getting worse because of climate change.

Absolute carnage

The director of Bangkok’s Samitivej Srinakarin hospital, where most of the injured have been treated, said his staff had never treated such severe injuries caused by turbulence.

Australian passenger Keith Davis described the ordeal, which left his wife Kerry with a severe spinal injury and no feeling below the waist.

“It was absolute carnage, instantly. It was absolutely surreal. You know, there’s no warning,” he told Australian broadcaster Channel 9.

“Before we knew it we were on the ceiling. And then bang, we’re on the ground. And you don’t know what is going on. And you’ve literally fallen 6,000 feet (1,829 metres).”

Davis said his wife hit the doors of the overhead luggage lockers before falling to the floor of the aisle and was unable to move for the rest of the flight.

The plane was met at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport by emergency responders who used gurneys to ferry the injured to ambulances waiting on the tarmac.

Photos taken inside the plane after it landed in Bangkok show the cabin in chaos, strewn with food, drinks and luggage, and with oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling.

Singapore Airlines chief executive Goh Choon Phong has apologised for the “traumatic experience” and expressed condolences to the family of the deceased – a 73-year-old British man.

An Australian passenger, center, who was injured on a flight that was battered by severe turbulence, talks to reporters at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, May 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Twenty-two passengers from a Singapore Airlines flight that was hit by turbulence on May 21, have spinal cord injuries and six have brain and skull injuries, according to media reports.

Twenty people remained in intensive care, although none were life-threatening cases, reported The Straits Times, citing Adinun Kittiratanapaibool, director of Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital.

The oldest patient at the hospital is 83, while the youngest is a two-year-old child who suffered a concussion.

He added that there were 40 patients from Flight SQ321 at the hospital. The London to Singapore flight made an emergency landing in Bangkok.

Nearly 60 passengers were injured after the flight on May 21 encountered “sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure”.

Forty-six passengers and two crew members aboard the SIA flight remain in the Thai capital for medical treatment.

Sixty-five passengers and two crew members were still in Bangkok, said SIA in a Facebook post at 9.31pm on May 23.

The pilot diverted the Boeing 777-300ER carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3.45pm (4.45pm Singapore time), making an emergency landing.

Flight SQ321, which was heading to Singapore from London, experienced sudden extreme turbulence on May 21. Briton Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, died during the turbulence, reportedly due to a heart attack.

It added that SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong has been “meeting the affected passengers, crew, their family members and loved ones in Bangkok today to personally offer his support and to understand their concerns”.

Also, customer care representatives, who are staff volunteers with training to handle such situations, have been deployed to provide updates to passengers, and to help them if needed.

Goh said, “We have also facilitated the travel of their family members and loved ones to Bangkok and ensured that they are taken care of too.” He also thanked the staff at Bangkok Hospital, Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, and Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, where the injured passengers and crew are believed to be hospitalised.

Singapore Airlines is in contact with all the passengers and crew members who are still in Bangkok. Customer Care Representatives, who are staff volunteers trained for such situations, have been assigned to provide updates and the necessary support and assistance to each passenger during this difficult time.

A former pilot has said that the Singapore Airlines flight, which was caught in a severe turbulence leading to the death of one passenger, could have hit an area called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ICZ). According to NASA Earth Observatory, it is a region that circles the Earth near the equator, where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern hemisphere come together. Due to the intense heat of the Sun and warm water of the equator in this region, the humidity content is high. Aided by the convergence of the trade winds, the buoyant air rises. As the air rises it expands and cools, releasing the accumulated moisture in an almost perpetual series of thunderstorms.

Also Read | Big Lesson From Singapore Airlines Turbulence Terror: Buckle Up

Marco Chan, a former commercial pilot and lecturer in aviation at Buckinghamshire New University, said in such a scenario, pilots’ options may have been limited.

“With turbulence of such magnitude, it is likely the Singapore Airlines flight was navigating through difficult thunderstorms,” Mr Chan told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Further explaining the notorious storm system, he told The Guardian, “Thunderstorms are prominently displayed on the pilots’ navigation display – but it may not be possible to completely circumvent the storm cluster as they can stretch well over 50 nautical miles.”

What is turbulence?

It is a phenomenon caused by meeting of air at different temperatures, pressure or velocity, where different wind patterns collide.

One of its dangerous form is the clear-air turbulence, which can take plane pilots by surprise and occur without warning.

The Boeing 777 jet of Singapore Airlines had to make an emergency landing in Thailand after being hit by deadly turbulence.

Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British passenger, died likely due to a heart attack on flight SQ321, said Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.

Nearly 60 passengers were injured in the May 21 incident.

Singapore Airlines on Wednesday said it is fully cooperating with relevant authorities in the investigation, adding that all the passengers were examined and treated at the airport.

Washington:

Airplane turbulence, which led to the death of a passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday, is a complex phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common due to climate change, according to experts.

Storms, cold and warm fronts, and the movement of air around mountains can all cause turbulence in the air that planes fly through.

Turbulence can also occur in jet streams — highways of strong wind that circulate around the globe at certain latitudes.

“While meteorologists have excellent tools to forecast turbulence, they are not perfect,” said Thomas Guinn, professor in the aviation department at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.

He added that airplane passengers should make sure they are wearing seat belts, which makes injuries far less likely.

ALSO READ | World’s Most Turbulent Flight Routes Show Rough Rides Are Everywhere

Initial reports suggest the Singapore Airlines flight, in which more than 70 passengers were injured, may have hit clear-air turbulence, “which is the most dangerous type of turbulence,” according to the Association of Flight Attendants.

Clear-air turbulence is defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “sudden severe turbulence occurring in cloudless regions that causes violent buffeting of aircraft.”

It is “especially troublesome because it is often encountered unexpectedly and frequently without visual clues to warn pilots of the hazard,” the FAA says in a document on its website.

The agency says clear-air turbulence is typically found close to jet streams and associated with wind shear — sudden changes in the speed or direction of the wind.

Turbulence continues to be a major cause of accidents and injuries despite a steady improvement in aviation accident rates, according to a 2021 report by the US National Transportation Safety Board.

But deaths linked to turbulence on commercial flights are “very rare,” said Dr Paul Williams, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading. 

“As far as I am aware there has not been a turbulence fatality on a commercial flight since 2009,” Williams said in a statement shared with AFP.

Williams said that climate change is increasing the frequency of airplane turbulence.

“For clear-air turbulence, climate change is increasing the temperature difference across the jet stream between the cold poles and the warm tropics,” he said.

“The tropics are warming faster than the poles at flight cruising altitudes. This effect is increasing wind shear in the jet stream, which is generating more turbulence,” Williams said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Representatives of the British embassy visit the Samitivej Hospital where injured passengers and crew of Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 were transferred following an emergency landing, in Bangkok Thailand on May 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Singapore Airlines on May 22 said it is fully cooperating with relevant authorities in the investigation into the London to Singapore flight which encountered severe turbulence, leading to the death of one passenger and injuring 30 others.

Geoffrey Kitchen, a 73-year-old British passenger, died likely due to a heart attack on the flight, said Kittipong Kittikachorn, general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, to where the SIA flight was on Tuesday diverted under emergency.

As many as 30 passengers have been receiving treatment for their injuries in hospitals in Bangkok after the Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on May 20 encountered “sudden extreme turbulence over the Irrawaddy Basin at 37,000 feet about 10 hours after departure”.

The remaining passengers aboard the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft carrying 229 people were examined and treated at the airport, the carrier said.

SIA is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities in probing this incident, SIA Chief Executive Officer Goh Choon Phong said.

The nationalities of the passengers are as follows: 56 from Australia, three Indians, two from Canada, one from Germany, two Indonesians, one from Iceland, four from Ireland, one from Israel, 16 from Malaysia, two from Myanmar, 23 from New Zealand, five from the Philippines, 41 Singaporeans, one South Korean, two from Spain, 47 from the United Kingdom, and four from the U.S.

The carrier confirmed that 131 passengers and 12 crew members, who arrived in Singapore via a relief flight on May 22, were received at Changi Airport by Mr. Goh.

Transportation to their homes or hotel accommodation has been arranged for passengers travelling to Singapore.

Another 79 passengers and six crew members, including those receiving medical care, as well as, their family members and loved ones who were on the flight, remain in Bangkok.

“For passengers with onward connections, we have rebooked them on alternative flights. We have also arranged hotel accommodation or lounge access for them to rest until their next flight,” Singapore’s flag carrier said.

“A dedicated SIA team from Singapore is in Bangkok to assist our colleagues and the local authorities. We are providing all possible support to the passengers and crew from SQ321 who remain in Bangkok,” said the airline.

“On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased passenger. We also deeply apologise for the trauma experienced by all passengers and crew members on this flight,” Goh said.

“We are providing all possible assistance and support to them, along with their families and loved ones, during this difficult time. The well-being of our passengers and staff is our utmost priority,” he added.

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing extended its condolences to the family of the British national who died aboard SQ321, a Boeing 777-300ER.

“We are in contact with Singapore Airlines regarding flight SQ321 and stand ready to support them,” Boeing said on X.

New Delhi:

Singapore Airlines CEO on Wednesday issued a public apology after one passenger died and 30 others were injured due to severe turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore.

In a video message, Goh Choon Phong said that they were “very sorry for the traumatic experience” that everyone on board the flight, SQ321, went through on Tuesday.

A Singapore Airlines flight, operating from London to Singapore, encountered sudden extreme turbulence at an altitude of 37,000 feet. The Boeing 777-300ER plane was carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members.

ALSO READ | 3 Indians Among 229 Aboard Singapore Airlines Flight Hit By ‘Sudden Extreme Turbulence’

“On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased. We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through,” Mr Phong said.

He said that Singapore Airlines is committed to providing all necessary support and assistance to the passengers and crew members who were on board SQ321. He also said that they are also “fully cooperating” with the relevant authorities on the investigations.

Mr Phong said that a relief flight with 143 of the SQ321 passengers and crew members, who were able to travel, arrived in Singapore this morning. Another 79 passengers and six crew members from SQ321, including those receiving medical care and their family members who were on the flight, remain in Bangkok, he said.

“Please be assured that Singapore Airlines is here to help and support you during this difficult time,” Mr Phong said.

Horror On Singapore Airlines Flight

Singapore Airlines said that its flight, which took off from Heathrow Airport in London on Monday and was headed to Singapore, “encountered severe turbulence” en route.

The flight fell into an air pocket while the cabin crew was serving breakfast before it encountered turbulence, prompting the pilots to request an emergency landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where it landed at 3.45 pm (local time) on Tuesday.

ALSO READ | “People Flung Into Lockers”: Singapore Flight Passenger Recounts Horror

The airline said that the sudden turbulence occurred over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar about 10 hours into the flight.

Photographs from the interior of the plane showed large gashes in the overhead cabin panels, gas masks, and panels hanging from the ceiling.

A passenger said that some people’s heads had slammed into the lights above the seats and punctured the panels during the turbulence.

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn said that a 73-year-old British man died during the incident, likely due to a heart attack. Seven people were critically injured, some with head injuries, he told a press conference.

Representational file image.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Singapore Airlines flight from London made an emergency landing in Bangkok on May 21 due to severe turbulence, the airline said, with one passengers on board dead and injuries reported.

Singapore Airlines did not say how many people were injured. Multiple Thai media reports said there were 30 injuries.

The Boeing 777-300ER plane with 211 passengers and 18 crew was headed to Singapore when it made the emergency landing, the airline said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport said that medical team was on standby.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline said.

“We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance.”

Representational file image.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A Singapore Airlines flight from London made an emergency landing in Bangkok on May 21 due to severe turbulence, the airline said, with one passengers on board dead and injuries reported.

Singapore Airlines did not say how many people were injured. Multiple Thai media reports said there were 30 injuries.

The Boeing 777-300ER plane with 211 passengers and 18 crew was headed to Singapore when it made the emergency landing, the airline said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport said that medical team was on standby.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline said.

“We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance.”