Airlines to introduce strict new seatbelt rules after fatal incident on flight from UK

Airlines are looking at introducing stricter seatbelt regulations following a fatality onboard a UK flight to Singapore.

Fears over the safety around seatbelts on flights have grown in the past couple of weeks after a man died onboard a flight from London Heathrow due to extreme turbulence.

Geoffrey Kitchen, 73, from Gloucestershire was flying out on the 'holiday of a lifetime' he died onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321 after it plummeted 6,000ft in just three minutes.

It's believed Kitchen passed away from a heart attack. It has not been publicly revealed if Mr Kitchen or any of the other passengers injured were wearing seatbelts when the plane was hit by turbulence.

The Singapore Airlines flight experienced extreme turbulence (ViralPress)

In the aftermath of the flight, the internet was flooded with images and first-hand experiences from passengers - leading many major airlines to reassess their safety measures.

The days of only wearing your seatbelt during take-off and landing are long gone, with pilots already advising passengers to remain strapped in at all times unless getting up to go to the toilet.

However, safety experts are now looking for it to become mandatory to wear your seatbelt at all times, with an article in The Times reporting that one aviation insider had said: "The messaging is going to be massively strengthened: it’ll be ‘Stay strapped in at all times’. End off."

Airlines already advise passengers to stay strapped in at all times. (Getty Stock Photo)

Former RAF-pilot and aviation expert David Learmount added in an interview with The Sun that the incident onboard flight SQ321 should serve as a reminder to all passengers about the importance of staying strapped in at all times.

"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," he said.

"So everybody on the aircraft was relatively unprepared, and that's dangerous."

And if you're concerned that wearing a seatbelt for a long haul flight would be uncomfortable, Learmount explained that they don't have to be worn tightly to protect you.

"If you have your seatbelt loosely fastened at all times, this kind of disaster will not happen to you," he said, adding that the experience would be 'uncomfortable' but prevent you from being 'thrown into the ceiling'.

Wearing a seatbelt at all times could soon be enforced. (Getty Stock Photo)

Meanwhile Singapore Airlines have already begun to update their safety guidelines in the aftermath of the incident, with the company now vowing to adopt a more 'cautious approach to managing turbulence'.

The changes will include cabin crew no longer serving hot drinks and meals while the seatbelt sign is on.

"[Singapore Airlines] will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance," the statement from the airline read.