Singapore Airlines president Goh Choon Phong has thanked the airline's staff for their hard work in the aftermath of the severe turbulence incident that killed a British man and injured dozens of others.
“The last five days have been extremely challenging for everyone at Singapore Airlines,” Goh wrote in the memo, seen by the BBC.
The message came after flight SQ321, en route from London to Singapore, was diverted to Bangkok, Thailand, following an incident over the Indian Ocean on May 21.
The Boeing 777-ER returned to Singapore on Sunday.
“Our agility, dedication and team spirit have been evident during this period,” Goh's memo said.
” [Singapore Airlines] I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the board and the entire management team.”
Flight Flight SQ321 headed to Bangkok last Tuesday for a medical emergency.There were 211 passengers and 18 crew members on board.
Geoff Kitchen, 73, from Gloucestershire, died of a suspected heart attack after the plane encountered turbulence, while more than 100 others were treated in hospital in the Thai capital.
The passengers and crew who were not seriously injured in the accident were flown to Singapore early the next morning.
The memo also said the airline was continuing to provide support to injured passengers and staff, and that Goh had personally visited the hospital last week.
In a video speech The day after the incident, Goh offered his deepest condolences to Kitchen's family and apologised to all those affected.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong He also offered condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died, adding that his country was “working closely with the Thai authorities.”
He said Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau would conduct a full investigation into the incident.
Accidents involving Singapore Airlines are rare, and the airline consistently ranks as one of the world's safest airlines.
The last fatal accident occurred in 2000, when a Boeing 747 crashed at an airport in Taiwan after attempting to take off from the wrong runway.
Approximately 83 of the 179 passengers and crew were killed.
