Singapore Airlines Flight Delays & Disruptions

[9V-SPL]

SQ345|02SEP operated by 9V-SKR is currently turned back towards Zurich.

[9V-SML]

SQ345|02SEP operated by 9V-SKR is currently turned back towards Zurich.

Is it uncanny that SIN-ZRH and the return seem to be getting more than their fair share of A380 problems? Seems to me this flight pair usually gets the newer batch of A380s since they are all upper deck J config. Or is this simply a case of small sample size?

[SQ228]

Is it uncanny that SIN-ZRH and the return seem to be getting more than their fair share of A380 problems? Seems to me this flight pair usually gets the newer batch of A380s since they are all upper deck J config. Or is this simply a case of small sample size?

There are a few issues that contribute. The allocation of SKB-K or SKL-T is usually based on the relative strength of J or Y sales on the particular flight/route, or in some cases because that particular set of A380s has a gap between flights and that flight happens to match the gap.

Looking over the last week of flights, however, things are literally scrambled everywhere. The only flights that regularly get all-upper-J, that have consistently received one, seem to be SQ26/5. It appears there may have been a major disruption and it's taking a while to get the rotations back in order.

ZRH is normally SKL-T. This does mean that it is part of a set of 8 planes, 3 of which on any night will be either heading out to, or returning from, FRA/NYC. The departing plane to ZRH quite often is coming in from PVG and PVG is the last A380 arrival for the evening.

The main two factors I attribute to ZRH delays (and there are a lot of them!) are: 1. delays at PVG (again, a lot of them!) have a knock-on effect and so SQ346 is also delayed, as the time between flights is only 185 min. and it takes a minimum of 105 min. to turn around an A380; and 2. ZRH is the last A380 flight to depart for the night, so should any technical failures occur, they seem to assign the faulty plane to SQ346 in order to buy more repair time, which if it can't be repaired means waiting for the first arrivals at dawn to source another A380 instead.

The irony of this all is that SQ's only flight to Switzerland, arguably the world's most punctual nation, is frequently delayed.

[CarbonMan]

The irony of this all is that SQ's only flight to Switzerland, arguably the world's most punctual nation, is frequently delayed.

Better not let the Germans hear this.

[SQ228]

Better not let the Germans hear this.

The Germans have given up trying to argue they are punctual when I discuss the topic over there. Deutsche Bahn is an ongoing national gripe and then the saga of BER became both the national joke and shame all at once and will remain so indefinitely! The Swiss deliver their major projects ahead of schedule...

[9V-SPL]

The Aviation Herald has picked up on these recent 2 incidents.

SQ345|02SEP returned due to a crew oxygen indication problem whilst SQ212|02SEP returned to SYD due to cargo door not being secured.

SQ345|02SEP operated by 9V-SKR is currently turned back towards Zurich.

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4ade82a0&opt=0

Also, SQ212, operated by a 773 (9V-SYF) as 9V-SPL reported earlier has departed SYD but turned back to SYD. I wonder what happened.

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4adfdd56&opt=0

[SQfanatic]

The Aviation Herald has picked up on these recent 2 incidents.

SQ345|02SEP returned due to a crew oxygen indication problem whilst SQ212|02SEP returned to SYD due to cargo door not being secured.



http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4ade82a0&opt=0



http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4adfdd56&opt=0

Wow, what rotten luck for the 773 on that route that's usually a 77W, but then again these things can happen with the 77W as well. About the A380, it seems to be more problematic as far as delays concerned; equipment related mostly. Not something I hear with Boeings often.Thanks for the articles!

[wlgspotter]

...2. ZRH is the last A380 flight to depart for the night, so should any technical failures occur, they seem to assign the faulty plane to SQ346 in order to buy more repair time, which if it can't be repaired means waiting for the first arrivals at dawn to source another A380 instead.

I do concur with SQ228's assessment that the ZRH flight (SQ346) seem to be the flight that gets delayed should issues occur with aircraft use that cannot be fixed on time, and it doesn't seem to be just the A380. I remember what I was working for SATS back in 92/93, SQ's rather newish B744 fleet at the time had quite a bit of "teething" issues as well. At the time, SQ only have 2 types of aircraft in their fleet - the Boeing 747 Series (742, 743 and 744) and the Airbus A310s (312 and 313), plus a single Boeing 733 for SIA Cargo. Therefore, only the Boeing 747s are the designated long haul aircraft, and certainly the B744 are the ones that do non-stop European routes (with the exception of ATH). Therefore, when an issue occur with a B744, it is always ZRH's aircraft that gets "stolen", as that will certainly either buy the engineers time to fix it, of if that is not possible, then they will have to wait until the early morning European arrivals before they can do an aircraft swap for ZRH. They couldn't even use SQ11's aircraft as although SQ11 arrives around the time when SQ346 is due to depart, however, in the early 90s, SQ12/11 was still operated by a B743, so it can't do the non-stop SIN-ZRH sector.

Seems that the patterns haven't changed much throughout the years!

[loldude333]

I do concur with SQ228's assessment that the ZRH flight (SQ346) seem to be the flight that gets delayed should issues occur with aircraft use that cannot be fixed on time, and it doesn't seem to be just the A380. I remember what I was working for SATS back in 92/93, SQ's rather newish B744 fleet at the time had quite a bit of "teething" issues as well. At the time, SQ only have 2 types of aircraft in their fleet - the Boeing 747 Series (742, 743 and 744) and the Airbus A310s (312 and 313), plus a single Boeing 733 for SIA Cargo. Therefore, only the Boeing 747s are the designated long haul aircraft, and certainly the B744 are the ones that do non-stop European routes (with the exception of ATH). Therefore, when an issue occur with a B744, it is always ZRH's aircraft that gets "stolen", as that will certainly either buy the engineers time to fix it, of if that is not possible, then they will have to wait until the early morning European arrivals before they can do an aircraft swap for ZRH. They couldn't even use SQ11's aircraft as although SQ11 arrives around the time when SQ346 is due to depart, however, in the early 90s, SQ12/11 was still operated by a B743, so it can't do the non-stop SIN-ZRH sector.

Seems that the patterns haven't changed much throughout the years!

Wow, that's quite a 'legacy' to have I guess the 777s have lots less issues because their base design is 20 years old and probably the engineers maintaining them have lots more exposure and experience? Of course, don't want to rule out good and reliable design and build quality.

[wlgspotter]

Wow, that's quite a 'legacy' to have I guess the 777s have lots less issues because their base design is 20 years old and probably the engineers maintaining them have lots more exposure and experience? Of course, don't want to rule out good and reliable design and build quality.

Yeah that's certainly quite true. But, if memory serves me right, I think a lot of the so called teething issues with the B744 at the time seemed to be from the fact that the 744 was the first aircraft in SQ's fleet at the time that replaced a lot of traditional dials and gauges in the cockpit with the famed 6 LCD screens. That presented some challenges. By the time the 777s came along SQ, along with Boeing, already had a number of years with using LCD screens in the cockpits...

[boing]

As someone had pointed out, Airbus aircraft are slightly more challenging to work on than Boeing from a maintenance perspective. Their component removals require more time and effort. Once saw a Boeing documentary on the 777 and Boeing actually has a software simulating an average human's ergonomics to make sure that any component's access on the 777 is not in an out of reach area for the mechanics. And this was in the 90s ! Likewise, UA mechanics were consulted on every common issues on an aircraft and these feedbacks were taken into consideration. As such, 777 is a breeze to work. That's not to say they didn't have their fair share of teething problems during EIS, but they were resolved faster.

[boing]

Yeah that's certainly quite true. But, if memory serves me right, I think a lot of the so called teething issues with the B744 at the time seemed to be from the fact that the 744 was the first aircraft in SQ's fleet at the time that replaced a lot of traditional dials and gauges in the cockpit with the famed 6 LCD screens. That presented some challenges. By the time the 777s came along SQ, along with Boeing, already had a number of years with using LCD screens in the cockpits...

The first aircraft in SQ's fleet to have a glass cockpit and 2 man operating crew was the A310 and B757. B744 just had more screens. I remember one of the problems the B744 had were of the tire pressure indicating system cable on the wheel coming loose in flight causing the tire pressure of a parricular wheel to be shown as XX in flight. The pilots as a protocol had to activate the emergency services upon arrival. After multiple false alarms, these digital tire pressure systems were removed from the B744. The 744 freighters till today do not have it.

[wlgspotter]

The first aircraft in SQ's fleet to have a glass cockpit and 2 man operating crew was the A310 and B757. B744 just had more screens. I remember one of the problems the B744 had were of the tire pressure indicating system cable on the wheel coming loose in flight causing the tire pressure of a parricular wheel to be shown as XX in flight. The pilots as a protocol had to activate the emergency services upon arrival. After multiple false alarms, these digital tire pressure systems were removed from the B744. The 744 freighters till today do not have it.

Yep you're right about that A310s and B757 being the first glass cockpits and 2 man operating crew.l - I stand corrected on that.

And I do remember the issues they had with the tyre gauge and the activation of emergency services upon arrival. The B744 fleet had its fair share of false alarms at the time...

[ell3]

SQ235 to BNE (13 Sept) operated by 9V-STW is returning to Changi after 2 hours of flight. Seems to have turned back one hour into the journey. Wonder what happened.

[9V-SPL]

SQ235 to BNE (13 Sept) operated by 9V-STW is returning to Changi after 2 hours of flight. Seems to have turned back one hour into the journey. Wonder what happened.

A technical issue prompted the air turn back with 9V-STB taking over.

Eventually departed at 0245.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SQ403|13SEP (DEL-SIN) operated by 9V-SKC was delayed for about 17.5 hours.

STD: 2155 (13SEP)
ATD: 1512 (14SEP)
STA: 0610
ATA: 2334

Arrival Gate: F42

According to tweets from some passengers, they were kept on board for at least 3-4 hours.