Three Singapore Airlines cabin crew members have been honored at the airline's CEO Service Excellence Awards after their swift, life-saving intervention revived a passenger whose heart stopped shortly before takeoff. On October 13, 2025, a 71-year-old passenger on a flight from Barcelona to Singapore fell unconscious, stopped breathing, and lost his pulse. Chief stewardess Serene Koh and leading steward Idris Abu immediately moved the man to the floor to begin CPR, while inflight manager Kueh Joo Tong retrieved emergency medical equipment, including an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Supported by two doctors and two trained first-aiders who stepped forward from among the passengers, the team performed resuscitation for approximately 20 minutes, delivering two AED shocks until the man's pulse returned. Medical personnel then transported the passenger to a hospital in Barcelona, where he underwent surgery to insert a stent into a blocked artery. After recovering in Spain for about a month, the passenger safely returned home to Sydney, Australia. Despite a one-hour departure delay due to the emergency, the flight arrived in Singapore on schedule.

Koh, Kueh, and Abu were among 29 individuals and teams recognized for their exceptional service. Reflecting on the incident, Kueh emphasized that annual emergency training played a vital role in their quick reaction, noting the profound impact of saving a life: "It’s somebody’s grandfather, somebody’s father."