SIA relief flight carrying passengers and crew of SQ321 arrives in Singapore

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) relief flight arrived at Changi Airport around 5am on Wednesday (May 22) carrying several passengers and crew of SQ321.

According to an update by the airline on Facebook, 131 passengers and 12 crew members were on board the relief SQ9071 while another 79 passengers and six crew members — including those receiving medical care and their families and loved ones — remained in Bangkok.

They landed at 5.05am and were received by SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong.

SQ321 diverted to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on the afternoon of May 21 after the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft encountering severe turbulence on route to Singapore from London. One 73-year-old British passenger died while 30 were injured, as of the time of writing.

The relief Airbus A350 departed Singapore at 8.57pm according to Flightradar24 and started its return flight with the passengers and crew of SQ321 at 2.09am ICT (3.09am SGT).

A holding area was set up at Terminal 2 (T2) of Changi Airport for family members and relatives, and staff were seen setting up barricades outside belts 36 to 39 in anticipation of the relief flight.

Once the flight landed, passengers were quickly ushered to the arrival pick-up point, bus bay or T2 carpark by airport staff in Singapore Airlines vests, with most declining to speak to media. 

Some had injuries on their faces including cuts and bruises, with at least one passenger in a wheelchair.

Several passengers had emotional reunions with family members, with hugs and tears aplenty.

In its Facebook update, SIA added: "Transportation to their homes or hotel accommodation has been arranged for passengers travelling to Singapore.

"For passengers with onward connections, we have rebooked them on alternative flights. We have also arranged hotel accommodation or lounge access for them to rest until their next flight."

One man surnamed Zheng told AsiaOne that he and his wife were waiting for their son who had been on the flight and had suffered bruises and superficial wounds to his face.

Zheng and his wife added that they had not been contacted by SIA at the time but had received updates by their son, who used in-flight data to inform his parents about the incident over WhatsApp.

He said that the younger Zheng, 23, was not wearing his seatbelt when the turbulence hit and had impacted the ceiling.

The Zhengs were nevertheless relieved and added that the "most important" thing was that their son was okay.

Sombre Vesak Day message by PM Wong

May 22 also marks Vesak Day, a public holiday in Singapore.

In a social media update on May 21, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong wrote: "Unfortunately we are marking Vesak Day this year with news of the incident on the SQ321 flight earlier today. We are all saddened and shocked by what happened. My deepest condolences to the family members and loved ones of the deceased."

In a follow-up post, he added: "The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Transport will conduct a thorough investigation.

"On behalf of the government and people of Singapore, I thank the authorities in Thailand for their support in providing medical assistance and looking after the affected passengers and crew."

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SIA 'deeply saddened by this incident': CEO

SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong also made a video message, sharing that the airline was "deeply saddened by this incident".

"On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased," he said. "We are very sorry for the traumatic experience that everyone on board SQ321 went through."

He added that a team of SIA staff had been dispatched to support their colleagues and local authorities in Bangkok, and that the airline's priority was to render "all possible assistance" to the passengers and crew members affected.

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