[TominScotland]

Martyn – what is “a Dr?” as in “is their a Dr on board” – do you mean “is there a Dr on board”?

As a frequent flyer with an academic doctorate (non-medical), I would never use my title when travelling as it is potentially misleading.

[MartynSinclair]

TIS – it would be so easy to correct my spell error, but I take it on the chin!!

I dont think using your Doctorate would be misleading at all. You have studied and earnd the title, so use it instead of Mr (or Miss, depending on how you feel!!).

Nice to hear from you JC, Chag Sameyach and hope your medical issues are now fully resolved and you are fighting fit.

[craigwatson]

rogervictor – ETOPS qualifications is only required for crossing the atlantic/pacific. it would not be applicable for SIN-LHR. On this route your never really going to be more than 200 miles from a suitable diversion (not speaking in regards to a medical diversion, as im pretty sure you wouldnt want to be stopping in kazakhstan!!) and granted the A380 would have a more limited selection.

The cabin crew wire up the pax with the leads and all info is sent real time to houston, the machine and/or the docs on the ground then give the cabin crew directions as to what treatment to give. the machine can even give auto defibrilation. SQ subscribes to this service.

The fact that he wasnt released from hospital for a week, and underwent surgery makes this a more serious matter in my mind. This wasnt just a bout of angina. the question id like to find out is when this happened? the news articles mention “just after takeoff” but that could mean anything.

The route they would take would bring them over some pretty undesirable places pretty quickly.

[VintageKrug]

Does seem to have been better to get him to the UK rather than waste time and money on a diversion which would have required him to undergo medical treatment in a strange country and with all the stress of getting back home afterwards.

[Swissdiver]

Diversion airports for A380 exist and many are only for diversion. GVA for instance is one and we don’t have any scheduled A380 flights here. So no issue for the diversion.

On this specific case, we still don’t have many details. But Pearson seems to have been assisted by a doctor who asked for the flight to be diverted. And the treatment he received in the UK confirms it was a serious condition. For me, clearly the flight should have been diverted (BKK and DXB where not that far – http://flygresor.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/img_0647.jpg).

[Binman62]

Have to say that on the face of it this was an appalling decision by SIA and should be of the greatest concern to all who fly. I was on board a BA flight that diverted 2 hours to mget a sick passenger to hospitela and I never heard a single passenger complain. It could be anyone of us.
As for the aircraft type, this is entirely irrelevant. SIA, QF and everyone else must be within 90 to 120 minutes of suitable alternative at all times. and many many other airfields can accommodate the aircraft between Asia and Europe. Clearly we do not know where this incident began but a return to SIN or a diversion to KUL, BKK, DXB DEL BOM FRA all of which would have be better than dragging it out to London. That decision on the surface seems to suggest a commercial decision rather than one for the benefit of the passenger.

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