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Compensation case begins in the High Court

A compensation claim against Singapore Airlines has been filed after severe turbulence on a flight from London Heathrow to Singapore in May 2024. Linda Kitchen, who lives in Thornbury near Bristol, has applied to the UK High Court, saying she lost her husband Geoff Kitchen in the incident and suffered serious back injuries herself.

Kitchen, 74, said her claim is based on the cost of specialist support and care needed because of a fracture in her spine. Lawyers for the family said 73-year-old Geoff Kitchen suffered fatal injuries during the sudden loss of altitude on board.

What is the financial scale of the claim?

The case raises the airline’s potential liability for damages. The main items in Kitchen’s claim are listed as follows:

  • Specialist medical treatment and rehabilitation costs for the spinal injury
  • Home help and care expenses

Kitchen said she did not realise how serious her condition was after she and her husband were separated, and that the news of his death was “utterly devastating.”

What happened during the flight?

The incident took place over Myanmar. According to passengers, the aircraft entered a severe turbulence zone around the 10th hour of the journey and then lost about 6,000 feet, or 1,828 metres, of altitude. The flight was diverted to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, for an emergency landing.

Kitchen said that during the sudden drop, items were thrown to the floor and the plane felt as if it were falling. She said her husband fell on top of her and she was injured after being pinned against an armrest. Other passengers later helped move Geoff Kitchen, and a doctor on board began CPR.

Hospital treatment and unanswered questions

Linda Kitchen said she was taken to hospital in Bangkok while her husband was still on the aircraft, and that she was not told of his death until two days later. Geoff Kitchen was later understood to have suffered a heart attack after the plane’s sudden loss of altitude.

Kitchen said she spent 10 days in hospital before being flown to Bristol by air ambulance, and that she remained in hospital for about another week after returning to the UK. A lawyer specialising in aviation law, who represents the family, said the case is an important stage both for compensation and for clarifying all aspects of the incident.

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