Singapore Airlines apologized Saturday after a social media post related to the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 sparked a backlash from followers for being “insensitive.” MH17 was shot down Thursday over contested airspace in Ukraine, prompting Singapore Airlines' customers to ask on Twitter if Singapore's planes were flying over the same area. After responding to about a dozen people individually, the airline wrote on Twitter and Facebook: “Customers may wish to note that Singapore Airlines flights are not using Ukraine airspace.”
But the terse response didn't sit well with some social media users. “Maybe first show compassion and then announce the deviation,” one follower commented on Facebook, while another said to “be more sensitive to the current issue.” In a statement, Singapore Airlines apologized for the “insensitive” update. “We recognize that the information could have been better communicated and we sincerely apologize if it had offended our customers and anyone else in the online community,” the statement said.
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— Elisha Fieldstadt