A 74-year-old British widow has launched legal action against Singapore Airlines more than two years after her husband died following severe turbulence on a flight from London to Singapore.

Linda Kitchen and her husband Geoff, 73, were about 10 hours into their journey in May 2024 when the aircraft encountered extreme turbulence over Myanmar and suddenly dropped around 6,000 feet (1,828 metres).

Linda said the aircraft felt as though it was “dropping” and she feared the plane was going down. Her husband was thrown onto her, causing her serious back injuries.

The aircraft was diverted to Bangkok, where an emergency landing was made. Linda was taken to hospital while doctors attempted to save Geoff, who is understood to have suffered a heart attack after the sudden drop. He later died.

Linda spent 10 days in hospital in Thailand before being airlifted back to the UK, followed by another week in hospital in Bristol. She says she continues to require specialist support because of her injuries.

Now, lawyers representing Linda have begun proceedings at the High Court, seeking damages to help her access the specialist care she needs.

Geoff, whom Linda described as her “soul mate”, was travelling with her on what was supposed to be a six-week holiday through Singapore, Indonesia and Australia.

Linda says her family still has questions about what happened and whether more could have been done to prevent the injuries.

The case comes more than two years after the incident and highlights once again the potentially devastating consequences of severe in-flight turbulence.