Singapore Airlines said Tuesday that one person died and others were injured when a flight from London to Singapore hit severe turbulence. Flight SQ321 from London’s Heathrow Airport was diverted to Bangkok and touched down just before 4 p.m. local time Tuesday at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the airline said in a statement posted to its Facebook page.
“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER,” the statement said, adding that there were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on the plane.
The airline offered “its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased” and said it was providing assistance to all passengers and crew from the flight.
While in-flight turbulence is common on many routes, deaths and serious injuries are rare. Four people were injured by severe turbulence on a domestic U.S. flight in Florida in July 2023.
Climatologists have warned travelers to brace for more flight delays and cancellations and more frequent and more severe turbulence, especially on routes over the world’s fast-warming oceans, as a result of climate change.
