The airline said it would also provide full refunds to all passengers on the flight, regardless of injuries sustained.
Three weeks after the Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 suffered severe turbulence in the air – an incident which resulted in one death and thirty injuries – the airline has said it offered compensation to those affected on June 10.
In a statement to Facebook and X, Singapore Airlines said would offer US$10,000 (AU$15,133) in compensation to those who sustained minor injuries, and US$25,000 (AU$37,832) to passengers who had been medically assessed as having sustained serious injuries, requiring long-term medical care and requesting financial assistance.
In addition, the airline says it provided S$1,000 (AU$1,119) in compensation to all passengers to meet their immediate expenses upon departure in Bangkok.
Related
“SIA has also been covering the medical expenses of the injured passengers, and arranged for their family members and loved ones to fly up to Bangkok where requested,” Singapore Airlines said in a statement.
“All affected passengers should have received their offers of compensation via email, along with information on how they may proceed with their claims. For any inquiries or further assistance, passengers may contact us using the provided details, and we will address these promptly. SIA remains committed to supporting the affected passengers who were on board SQ321.”
The flight, on a Boeing 777-300ER plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew, was thrust up and down over the course of a minute, with the plane’s vertical speed surging 1,664 feet per minute before plummeting -1,436 feet per minute in a matter of three seconds.
About a week ago, Singapore Airlines confirmed that 20 passengers on board the fateful flight were still receiving medical care in hospitals in Bangkok.
According to international regulations, airlines must offer compensation when passengers are injured or die while on a plane. Additionally, when an airline employee was in some way negligent and a passenger was injured as a result, then the airline may be liable. According to Longton Legal, payouts are designed to assist injured persons to maintain a quality of life comparable to life prior to the accident. Compensation is generally calculated according to injuries sustained, the severity of those injuries, and the impact of those injuries on long-term employment and lifestyle.
In March this year, it was confirmed that the families of more than 100 of the Chinese passengers aboard flight MH370, which disappeared on March 8, 2014, had accepted settlements from Malaysian Airlines ranging from 2.5 million to 3 million yuan (AU$521,747 to AU$626,097).
Qantas steps in for Bonza customers again
In other airline news, Qantas has said it (and Jetstar) will extend its offer of free flights to customers affected by Bonza entering voluntary administration.
It also said it had set up a dedicated page for Bonza employees on its Jetstar careers site, and was currently working with employees that had contacted the airline about various opportunities across the business.
More than 25,000 passengers had already been reaccommodated on Jetstar and Qantas services at no cost since Bonza stopped flying six weeks ago, with passengers provided seats on six overlapping routes or the closest alternative route.
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