Editorial | Keep your seat belts fastened on flights
- Clear-air turbulence that struck a Singapore Airlines service, leading to one death and dozens of injuries, is a reminder to buckle up, especially while sleeping on long hauls
Man has constantly striven to make air travel safer as well as faster, further and greener, in the process resolving countless issues. But there remains the problem of clear-air turbulence that is invisible to radar.
It can cause an aeroplane to lose height rapidly at high altitude without warning, as passengers and crew on a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER can confirm after a terrifying experience this week. One 73-year-old Briton died from a suspected heart attack and dozens of passengers were injured as people and objects were thrown to the ceiling.
A Hong Kong resident was among 20 patients in intensive care in Bangkok.
Those most exposed to risk of serious injury would have been seated passengers who did not have their seat belts fastened, passengers moving about – to go to the washroom for example – and cabin crew on duty on their feet.
Passenger planes that fly millions of kilometres across the world each day are arguably the safest form of transport. But this can lull people into a false sense of security.