Many Singaporeans are returning home, as countries around the world implement border controls to contain a rising number of Covid-19 cases.

The efforts of the Singapore Airlines (SIA) crew to bring home these returning passengers and care for them during the journey have not gone unnoticed.

Moving waiata performance to thank SIA crew

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, declared that the country will go into a nationwide lockdown from March 26 (Singapore time).

Six Singaporean youths took the last flight back from New Zealand before the lockdown commenced.

Out of appreciation for the SIA crew, they performed a Maori song, known as the waiata, aboard the plane.

The six students are from the New Zealand School of Dance in Wellington, studying full-time classical ballet or contemporary dance, according to Stuff.

They said they were thankful for the "amazing cabin crew", who were willing to take just the six of them back to Singapore over 10 hours on this "rescue flight".

You can watch the short performance here:

"Welcome home!"

The Speaker of Parliament, Tan Chuan-Jin, also saw their performance, and welcomed them back home.

Tan added that, in contrast, there are still residents still lamenting about the price of SIA flights and asked for further discounts.

He explained that the "airline was bleeding very very badly" and there has been no increase to the cost of these flights that help facilitate the return of overseas Singaporeans.

He ended his post by expressing his appreciation for SIA.

Top photo via video from New Zealand School of Dance's Facebook