Plane involved in SQ321 incident returns to Singapore
The SIA plane that experienced air turbulence on May 21 seen on the tarmac on May 25 at Survanabhumi Airport, Bangkok.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Samuel Devaraj
MAY 26, 2024, 04:37 PM
SINGAPORE – The Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane which experienced severe air turbulence on May 21, resulting in one death and dozens of injuries, returned to Singapore on May 26 after being cleared for departure from Bangkok.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, an SIA spokesperson said that aircraft 9V-SWM, a Boeing 777-300ER, was flown back from Bangkok on May 26 and landed at 1.39pm.
Said the spokesperson: “SIA obtained the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities in Singapore and Thailand, the investigators, and the aircraft manufacturer, and the aircraft was cleared by our engineering and flight operations teams, before departure.”
The spokesperson added that SIA is fully cooperating with the authorities in the investigation into the incident on May 21.
SQ321 had experienced turbulence on that date over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar, about 10 hours after leaving London for Singapore.
The pilot diverted the plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport after declaring a medical emergency, before making an emergency landing at 3.45pm (4.45pm Singapore time).
The passengers on SQ321 included 41 Singaporeans, with the remaining 170 from countries such as Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Britain.
