Major airlines to introduce strict new safety rules for passengers following fatal plane incident
PASSENGERS could soon be forced to wear their seatbelts for the entire flight under new airline rules.
The change to safety requirements comes after the Singapore Airlines incident which saw one passenger killed following unexpected turbulence.
Last month, 73-year-old Geoffrey Kitchen was killed after the plane plunged nearly 180ft in seconds, with more than 100 people initially hospitalised.
And new rules could soon restrict passengers from removing their seatbelts at all during flights in a bid to prevent a similar incident.
Safety experts at a number of airlines are said to be looking into how this change would be introduced, the Times reports.
One aviation source, who remained anonymous, said the incident had left airline bosses "terrified [...] they could be next".
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They added: "The messaging is going to be massively strengthened: it’ll be ‘Stay strapped in at all times’. End off.”
Emirates president Sir Tim Clark told the paper that the "whole industry is now upping in the game" to try and make passengers stay buckled up for the whole flight.
He said: "We are looking at all the protocols."
If introduced, it would be one of the more significant changes to safety rules in two decades, according to travel expert Paul Charles.
Other rules are already being introduced in light of the incident.
Last month, Singapore Airlines confirmed they would no longer serve hot drinks or meals when the seatbelt sign was on.
They have also rerouted one of their flights - the London to Singapore route will no longer fly over Myanmar, where the turbulence occurred.
Aviation expert and ex-RAF pilot David Learmount told the Sun he had "never experienced" that level of turbulence before, which saw the plane drop thousands of feet in minutes.
He said: "Now the indication there is that the crew didn't know this turbulence was coming, or they weren't expecting it to be anything like it actually turned out to be.
"So everybody on the aircraft was relatively unprepared, and that's dangerous.
"If you have your seatbelt loosely fastened at all times, this kind of disaster will not happen to you."
"It would be very uncomfortable, but at least you won't get thrown at the ceiling."
And a number of other turbulence-related accidents have caused injuries in recent months.
Passenger Philip Crossdale was left with severe whiplash after sudden turbulence saw the plane "plummet".
He said: "Everybody that wasn’t fastened in literally went and hit the ceiling. Whether it be once or twice.
"There was food everywhere. People’s iPads and tablets were flying around the cabin and hitting people on the heads.
"It was just like you were in a disaster movie."
Pilot Suwapich Wongwiriyawanich, Thailand's first female pilot, previously said she wished passengers would always wear their seatbelts.
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What happened on the Singapore Airlines SQ321 flight?
The London to Singapore flight took off on May 20, with 211 passengers and 18 crew, which included 47 Brits.
The plane then experienced "severe turbulence" during the breakfast service around 11 hours into the 13-hour flight.
This saw the aircraft drop 7,000ft in around six minutes, with images showing broken overhead panels and luggage strewn across the aisles.
Passenger Geoff Kitchen, 73, died following a suspected heart attack on the flight, while hundreds of other passengers were hospitalised.
It was thought to have been caused by thunderstorms over the Bay of Bengal.
She said: "Sometimes they think it’s alright to unfasten their seatbelt to relax, but having the seatbelt fastened at all times can prevent injuries that could happen in unforeseen circumstances."
Here are some other ways airlines are cracking down on passengers, including when it comes to hand luggage.