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The ferry had been travelling from the city to Days Bay in Eastbourne.

Taiwan has tracked dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast today on the second day of a large exercise China's People's Liberation Army held in response to the island's new leadership.

The defence ministry said it tracked 49 warplanes and 19 navy vessels, as well as Chinese coast guard vessels.

Thirty-five of the planes flew across the median of the Taiwan Strait, the de facto boundary between the sides, over a 24-hour period to today.

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"Facing external challenges and threats, we will continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy," Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te told sailors and top security officials as he visited a marine base in Taoyuan, just south of the capital, Taipei.

In his inauguration speech on Monday, Lai had called on Beijing to stop its military intimidation and said Taiwan was "a sovereign independent nation in which sovereignty lies in the hands of the people".

China's military said its two-day exercises around Taiwan were punishment for separatist forces seeking independence.

It sends navy ships and warplanes into the Taiwan Strait and other areas around the island almost daily to wear down Taiwan's defences and seek to intimidate its people, who firmly back their de facto independence.

READ MORE: Australian has 'no sensation from her waist down' after Singapore flight

"As soon as the leader of Taiwan took office, he challenged the one-China principle and blatantly sold the 'two-state theory'," China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said in a statement on Thursday night.

The one-China principle asserts that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China under Communist Party rule.

Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province and has been upping its threats to annex it by force if necessary.

Singapore Airlines has updated its turbulence protocols following mid-air chaos on a flight that left dozens of people injured and one man dead.

A spokesperson for the airline said they have "adopted a more cautious approach" to managing turbulence when in flight.

The changes include suspending both hot beverage and meal services when the seatbelt sign is on, as well as safely securing all loose items and equipment to minimise the risk of injury when hitting turbulence.

READ MORE: What is clear-air turbulence and can pilots avoid it?

The airline also said that crew members would continue to advise passengers to stay seated and use their seatbelts, as well as monitoring customers who require assistance when the seatbelt sign turns on, including passengers using the bathroom.

"Singapore Airlines (SIA) has adopted a more cautious approach to managing turbulence in-flight," a spokesperson for the airline said.s

"Pilots and cabin crew are aware of the hazards associated with turbulence.

"They are also trained to assist customers and ensure cabin safety throughout the flight.

"SIA will continue to review our processes as the safety of our passengers and crew is of utmost importance."

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It comes after more than 100 passengers suffered injuries after flight SQ321 hit clear air turbulence, dropping 6000 feet in a matter of minutes.

A total of 211 passengers were on the flight, including 56 Australians.

The Singapore Airlines CEO visited those still in hospital to apologise for the incident.

Nine Australians are still being treated in Bangkok hospitals, including one woman who suffered a serious spinal injury.

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An Australian man onboard the Singapore Airlines flight hit by extreme turbulence has described the "absolute carnage" during the plane's freefall, revealing his wife suffered a serious spinal injury as the plane suddenly plunged 6000 feet.

Keith Davis and his wife are two of the Australians still being treated in Bangkok, with the pair hoping for a medevac home.

Nine Australians remain in hospital, including three in ICU.

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"(My wife) fell into the aisle and she didn't move from then on," Davis told Today this morning.

"She hit the ground so hard and you know, I leant over her and said, 'Hey, honey, you're okay', I could see she was breathing and she could speak, but when someone hits the ground, they're going to try and get up and that wasn't happening.

"And then I realised I was pouring blood all over her and I thought, wow, we're in a lot of serious trouble here.

"She's had a severe spinal injury and she has no sensation from her waist down.

"She's got all of her wits about her, she's strong and we just want to get home."

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Davis considers himself lucky, escaping with superficial wounds.

He recalled the "chaos" as the plane dropped.

"It was absolute carnage, instantly, it was absolutely surreal and there was no warning," he said.

"When you come into turbulence, there is usually some warning, but this was just a freefall and before we knew it – we were on the ceiling and then bang, we are on the ground."

Almost half of the 211 passengers onboard SQ321 were injured, with a UK grandfather dying after suffering a suspected heart attack.

Singapore Airlines has appointed a customer care officer to the pair to assist them in getting home.

It is understood the CEO of the airline flew to Bangkok and visited passengers in the hospital recently.

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