Coronavirus : Flight cancellations and contingencies

[sbs2716g]

Everyone know about the CoronaVirus situation right now.

Seem like SQ/MI does not park their planes overnight at China airport but what about the crews? Are they doing immediate turning around for PEK/PVG to avoid staying overnight at China? Or is SQ deploying extra set of crews instead?

CX have revised lot of their China flights timing so as to have immediate turnaround instead of parking overnight, thus crews does not have stay overnight at China (but then the flight time from HKG to china is much shorter).

[SINFJ]

Everyone know about the CoronaVirus situation right now.

Seem like SQ/MI does not park their planes overnight at China airport but what about the crews? Are they doing immediate turning around for PEK/PVG to avoid staying overnight at China? Or is SQ deploying extra set of crews instead?

CX have revised lot of their China flights timing so as to have immediate turnaround instead of parking overnight, thus crews does not have stay overnight at China (but then the flight time from HKG to china is much shorter).

CX can retime their evening departures for immediate turn around. Doubt it is easily done for SQ with at least double the flight time.

[flyguy]

For SQ flights to China which is 5 hours and above, the crew will night stop in the city. Believe only the Guangzhou flight is a turnaround flight for the crew and if one incudes HK too. CX can do it as its flights from HKG to China cities are nearer and their flight times is much shorter and hence they can do a turnaround all the time, and not just bec of this current virus threat.

[sbs2716g]

For SQ flights to China which is 5 hours and above, the crew will night stop in the city. Believe only the Guangzhou flight is a turnaround flight for the crew and if one incudes HK too. CX can do it as its flights from HKG to China cities are nearer and their flight times is much shorter and hence they can do a turnaround all the time, and not just bec of this current virus threat.

That why I am asking whether SQ will switch to immediate turn around for their crews. I think the crews will rather do immediate turn around than staying overnight at Shanghai or Beijing.

CX do have many 7-8pm flights which layover overnight at China Airport for early 7-8am departure which mean their crews will stay overnight. But they have retimed these flights to depart at 3-5am instead so crews won’t stay overnight

[sbs2716g]

CX can retime their evening departures for immediate turn around. Doubt it is easily done for SQ with at least double the flight time.

Maybe put some additional crews for each flight.

[flyguy]

Think SQ crew are unable to do a turnaround for flights 6 hrs or more as if they do the return trip it will exceed the crew duty time. And by adding or paxing another set of crew to do the return flight would costs the airline quite a fair bit and need alot of extra crew.

[259850]

Not sure where SQ crew stays in PVG and PEK (CAN is a turnaround flight), but presumably they will be instructed not to leave the hotel, etc.

On a related note, I believe bookings to China will fall rapidly after the New Year holidays are over. My employer has prohibited staff from travelling to China effective today, and I'm sure many others are taking the same measures. This will probably result in a reduction of frequencies, perhaps even to HK.

[boing]

A bit OT here, but I am just concerned if SQ can absorb the financial impact if these virus continues spreading as compared to the SARS period ?

Back in 2003 when SARS came, SQ traffic dropped so much that they retrenched staff, the only time in their history. But they rebounded within a few months and they didn't have the constant twin prong pressure of LCCs and ME carriers compressing their profit margin compared to as now.

With HK political drama going on and US-China trade stand off, the last thing AP airlines need is a global reaching virus coming from China.

[yuuka_miya]

Not sure where SQ crew stays in PVG and PEK (CAN is a turnaround flight), but presumably they will be instructed not to leave the hotel, etc.

On a related note, I believe bookings to China will fall rapidly after the New Year holidays are over. My employer has prohibited staff from travelling to China effective today, and I'm sure many others are taking the same measures. This will probably result in a reduction of frequencies, perhaps even to HK.

A part of me thinks that this won't be an issue fleet wise, SQ can simply accelerate retirements and A380 refits if it looks like it's going on for a while and they don't need the planes. Scoot has more exposure to China so they'd be more scared.

As for the financial aspect I'd think it would be a function of how hard Singapore itself is hit. So far all of the confirmed cases have been PRC nationals, which can be easily locked up in quarantine.

[fone]

Not sure where SQ crew stays in PVG and PEK (CAN is a turnaround flight), but presumably they will be instructed not to leave the hotel, etc.

I spoke to the PEK cabin crew once, at least the A380 flight ones. IIRC, they were staying around 4th ring area (not very sure of this) and only staying 1 night (next day A380 flight back to SIN). I was also doing a 1 day turn, but different flight from this crew.
If only stay in hotel, only exposure would be airport people, driver to/from hotel and the hotel staff, assuming they do not leave the hotel.

Even if leave hotel, if they wear a N95 mask, risk of infection should cut down by plenty. Does SQ allow its crew to wear mask while moving through the airport?

[Trent1000]

I spoke to the PEK cabin crew once, at least the A380 flight ones. IIRC, they were staying around 4th ring area (not very sure of this) and only staying 1 night (next day A380 flight back to SIN). I was also doing a 1 day turn, but different flight from this crew.
If only stay in hotel, only exposure would be airport people, driver to/from hotel and the hotel staff, assuming they do not leave the hotel.

Even if leave hotel, if they wear a N95 mask, risk of infection should cut down by plenty. Does SQ allow its crew to wear mask while moving through the airport?

I spotted quite a few crew members wearing masks as they were leaving Changi Airport after a flight.

[sbs2716g]

A bit OT here, but I am just concerned if SQ can absorb the financial impact if these virus continues spreading as compared to the SARS period ?

Back in 2003 when SARS came, SQ traffic dropped so much that they retrenched staff, the only time in their history. But they rebounded within a few months and they didn't have the constant twin prong pressure of LCCs and ME carriers compressing their profit margin compared to as now.

With HK political drama going on and US-China trade stand off, the last thing AP airlines need is a global reaching virus coming from China.

Seem like Cathay pacific will be reducing at least 50% of their fight to China till End March. So I guess SQ will be affected as tour groups are banned from leaving and many tourists won’t be going to China as well.

[flyguy]

Am sure because of the drastic fall in passengers, SQ will cut down its flights to China by half or even more soon esp to Beijing and Shanghai which sees up to 5 daily services/
Cathay already announced it will cut by half the flights to China. Scoot and Silkair will likely cut down its flights too. But refitting more A380s now may not be so as already one should be in refit and every refit seems to take up to 6 months or longer. But only PVG and SHA are served with one A380 daily but these are taken from the Europe flights that come in the early morning into Changi. The A380s can have a longer rest in Changi as they been working hard lately.

[sbs2716g]

I spoke to the PEK cabin crew once, at least the A380 flight ones. IIRC, they were staying around 4th ring area (not very sure of this) and only staying 1 night (next day A380 flight back to SIN). I was also doing a 1 day turn, but different flight from this crew.
If only stay in hotel, only exposure would be airport people, driver to/from hotel and the hotel staff, assuming they do not leave the hotel.

Even if leave hotel, if they wear a N95 mask, risk of infection should cut down by plenty. Does SQ allow its crew to wear mask while moving through the airport?

SQ allow crews to wear mask during flights as well. There were few guys in SQ Facebook page recently complaining that SQ does not enforce their cabin crews to wear mask while SQ reply that it is up to the cabin crew to decide.

[FN-GM]

Scoot and Silkair will likely cut down its flights too.

Scoot have cancelled flights to/from Wuhan until the end of March.