[UPDATED on Monday, Dec. 11 at 10:00am: The article has been updated with a statement from SIA.]

A video of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) stewardess spoon-feeding a five-year old boy during a business class flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo has sparked debate after the clip went viral on social media.

The boy's father, Michael Rutherford, who was on the same flight, shared a clip of the heartwarming sight to Instagram on Dec. 5, adding his compliments for the staff's kind act.

However, online users had mixed reactions to the video, with some saying that the boy looked old enough to feed himself, while others opined that it was not the flight attendant's responsibility to provide such a service.

Since then, the post has gained significant traction, and has garnered more than 357,000 likes and 7,700 comments as of Dec. 10.

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A post shared by Michael Rutherford (@michaelrutherfordonline)

Greatest flight ever

Rutherford, whose Instagram profile focuses on "personal development and travel", was flying to Japan with his five-year-old son for a seven-day trip.

He clarified in response to comments that he was seated in front of his son in the business class cabin, while the boy was sitting next to a friend.

Later, he turned back to see the stewardess patiently feeding his son with a spoon. The boy had his headphones on and appeared to be engrossed with his tablet.

Rutherford captioned the video by noting that "they were having the greatest flight ever and this just made it even more perfect."

'Old enough to feed himself'

Rutherford's video triggered a variety of responses from online users.

A fair number of users responded to the video with shock, and opined that the boy was old enough to feed himself.

Others complimented the stewardess, but said that they felt it should be the parents' responsibility to ensure their children were fed.

"Flight attendants are not babysitters. They are there for the safety of the passengers," one wrote.

In response to one comment, Rutherford clarified that the flight attendant had voluntarily asked for permission to sit by his son, presumably to feed him.

"She's a mother and took [the] sweetest care of him," he added.

'Living his best life'

Not all users shared such cynical takes.

A few pointed out that it would have made for an enjoyable flight experience for the boy and his parents.

One user shared a similarly positive flight experience where a Thai flight attendant fed his eight-year-old son ice cream while he was watching an in-flight movie.

"I woke up to see that and laughed," the user added.

Heartened to see crew's warm service: SIA

In response to Mothership's enquiries, an SIA spokesperson said that the airline was heartened to see their cabin crew’s warm service to Michael and his family on board his flight.

The spokesperson noted that SIA cabin crew undergo extensive training on how to better empathise with, understand and meet the needs of different customer groups, including children, the elderly, and mobility-challenged individuals.

"We are pleased that our cabin crew was able to anticipate and see to the needs of the customer on this occasion. We wish Michael and his family the very best, and look forward to welcoming them on board again soon," the spokesperson added.

Top image from michaelrutherfordonline on Instagram.