Singapore Airlines yesterday explained the actions it took in the hours following the crash of flight SQ006 as relatives of victims in the crash questioned the pilot's decision to take off in a storm and criticized the airline for not releasing a list of victims earlier.
"Singapore Airlines was too slow in providing us with immediate information in Singapore. We got information from the media, not from the airline," one family member said after arriving at the CKS International Airport yesterday.
The airline released a list of victims on Wednesday evening, but by that time, many media reports had already announced the doomed flight's boarding list.
Singapore Airlines officials emphasized yesterday that the airline did not make public the victims list until Wednesday because they had to gain the consent of passengers and families before announcing the names.
"People from different countries have various reactions to this kind of situation," said Sharon Wu (
According to airline officials, all news releases had to be approved by their headquarters in Singapore.
"We are very prudent in making any statements," Wu said.
Arriving in Taipei around midnight on Wednesday, the airline's Chief Executive Officer Cheong Choong Kong (
"I have come here directly from Christchurch, New Zealand, where I was attending a business meeting," he said, adding, "I wanted to be here."
The airline has defended 41-year-old Captain Foong Chee Kong's decision to take off. Officials from the company both in Taiwan and Singapore noted Tuesday night's visibility level of 450-550m at CKS airport exceeded the minimum requirement of 200m needed for takeoff.
"It is important that we stick to the facts. Speculation and theories cannot do anything to help anyone," Cheong said yesterday.
"We are working closely with Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration investigation team," Cheong added.
The airline has brought 150 support staff from Singapore. Some of them will assist with the investigation, but the majority "are specially trained to support the passengers and their families through such difficult situations," he said.
They will also assist by providing immediate compensation to passengers and families of the victims, according to Wu.
The airline will offer US$25,000 as immediate relief to the next of kin of the 81 killed in the crash and US$5,000 for each survivor to assist with their expenses, she said.
"The distribution is expected to be carried out within two days," she said.
Next of kin of more than 70 percent of the passengers on the flight had been contacted and more than 90 percent of those have gathered at the airline's base at CKS hotel next to the airport, according to the airline.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned