It might be time to forgo a little comfort and buckle up for longer. Airlines are set to implement stricter seatbelt regulations after one death and multiple injuries when severe turbulence struck a flight from London to Singapore . Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 dropped 6000ft (about 1800 metres) in three minutes on May 21.
Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, from Gloucestershire , reportedly suffered a heart attack and died during the flight. The plane, with 211 passengers and 18 crew, made an emergency landing in Bangkok. It is unclear whether Kitchen or the 26 injured passengers were wearing seatbelts during the turbulence.
However, the incident has reopened the conversation about safety rules and seatbelt regulations during a flight. Read more: Fatal Singapore Airlines flight turbulence: Experts reveal one thing passengers need to do Hundreds of images from the flight were posted by passengers to social media platforms, sparking discussion on aviation threads. Airlines have been forced to re-evaluate their safety protocols, and talk of stricter seatbelt rules soon came into play, with some experts suggesting passengers should keep their seatbelts fastened throughout their flights.
Pilots and travel safety experts have often advised this, suggesting that passengers should unlock their seatbelts only when getting up to use the bathroom. In the wake of other recent episodes of severe turbulence, that might soon become mandatory. An aviation insider told The Times : “The messaging is g.
