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SQ's AMS Mystery Flights

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  • SQ's AMS Mystery Flights

    Just happened to be snooping about on the Changi website looking at gate assignments at T3 and found SQ340, a cancelled 0230 flight to AMS. Thinking this rather unusual, I then looked up SQ340 on fr24. Three flights, on 16JUN, 18JUN & 21JUN. All for SIN 0230-0930 AMS, all cancelled, no aircraft type assigned.

    I then found a corresponding return flight, SQ339. AMS 1852-1330+1 SIN, scheduled for 14JUN, 16JUN, 18JUN & 21JUN, all cancelled, no aircraft type assigned. I've never seen SQ schedule a flight at a time ending in anything other than a 0 or a 5 before. These flight numbers have not been used for years, if ever.

    Anybody have any clues about these mysteriously scheduled and then cancelled 3x weekly flights to AMS? They almost copy the additional CDG flight timings.

  • #2
    I can't help with your mystery flight but on the subject of AMS on my two most recent trips through there I noticed the SQ bird was parked on a remote gate and pax were getting bussed out to it.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
      Just happened to be snooping about on the Changi website looking at gate assignments at T3 and found SQ340, a cancelled 0230 flight to AMS. Thinking this rather unusual, I then looked up SQ340 on fr24. Three flights, on 16JUN, 18JUN & 21JUN. All for SIN 0230-0930 AMS, all cancelled, no aircraft type assigned.

      I then found a corresponding return flight, SQ339. AMS 1852-1330+1 SIN, scheduled for 14JUN, 16JUN, 18JUN & 21JUN, all cancelled, no aircraft type assigned. I've never seen SQ schedule a flight at a time ending in anything other than a 0 or a 5 before. These flight numbers have not been used for years, if ever.

      Anybody have any clues about these mysteriously scheduled and then cancelled 3x weekly flights to AMS? They almost copy the additional CDG flight timings.
      My guess is this had to do with the now withdrawn court case over the sovereignty of Pedra Branca at the Internal Court of Justice in The Hague. AMS would have been the closest airport to fly Singapore’s delegations in/ out of for the hearings.

      The dates seem to match what was written in the Straits Times article.
      https://www.straitstimes.com/politic...llenge-in-june

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      • #4
        Originally posted by 9V-SKU View Post
        My guess is this had to do with the now withdrawn court case over the sovereignty of Pedra Branca at the Internal Court of Justice in The Hague. AMS would have been the closest airport to fly Singapore’s delegations in/ out of for the hearings.

        The dates seem to match what was written in the Straits Times article.
        https://www.straitstimes.com/politic...llenge-in-june
        Excellent detective work.

        I think it might be a coincidence though as the flights keep appearing in the same 3x weekly pattern.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by MAN Flyer View Post
          I can't help with your mystery flight but on the subject of AMS on my two most recent trips through there I noticed the SQ bird was parked on a remote gate and pax were getting bussed out to it.
          Normally remote gates are the unpleasant part of a regional flight. Maybe they can't spare a gate for 6 hours each morning right now at Schiphol. That's a lot of people to bus though.

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          • #6
            Originally posted by 9V-SKU View Post
            My guess is this had to do with the now withdrawn court case over the sovereignty of Pedra Branca at the Internal Court of Justice in The Hague. AMS would have been the closest airport to fly Singapore’s delegations in/ out of for the hearings.

            The dates seem to match what was written in the Straits Times article.
            https://www.straitstimes.com/politic...llenge-in-june
            I would be shocked if the Singapore Govt were to charter a whole plane to bring a dozen lawyers to The Hague to argue the Pedra Branca case. And if it's 3x a week - it would be a scandal equivalent to Malaysia's handbagate.

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            • #7
              Whatever the reason, it's still going. Every two or three days another cancelled flight pops up.

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              • #8
                AFAIK, Singapore Government has never chartered a whole flight for a handful of people to travel. Even the PM and President travels on normal commercial flights. Only the SAF charters flights as they require all seats available.
                My guess is that SQ is planning to launch a flight during those times and CAG is proof testing to make sure that a gate is available during those times. Prior to T4 opening, these dummy flights were going around.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by boing View Post
                  AFAIK, Singapore Government has never chartered a whole flight for a handful of people to travel. Even the PM and President travels on normal commercial flights. Only the SAF charters flights as they require all seats available.
                  My guess is that SQ is planning to launch a flight during those times and CAG is proof testing to make sure that a gate is available during those times. Prior to T4 opening, these dummy flights were going around.
                  Interesting. The times are almost identical to the additional CDG flights.

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                  • #10
                    This is surprising, indeed.

                    It might be off-topic to the post, but sometime last month via the iChangi app, I saw the SQ22 Newark flight on there that said "Canceled". Did you also catch that live from the SIN departure board? Just curious.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by SQfanatic View Post
                      This is surprising, indeed.

                      It might be off-topic to the post, but sometime last month via the iChangi app, I saw the SQ22 Newark flight on there that said "Canceled". Did you also catch that live from the SIN departure board? Just curious.
                      Yes, the live departure board where you were looking is where I first found it.

                      These ghost flights are still occurring 3x weekly to AMS.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by SQ228 View Post
                        Yes, the live departure board where you were looking is where I first found it.

                        These ghost flights are still occurring 3x weekly to AMS.
                        This is weird and strange indeed.

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                        • #13
                          The ghost flights are still shown on the board and marked as cancelled.

                          Just a thought and pure speculation, could this be a hint that we can potentially see in the near future a US route via AMS considering that SQ was flying SIN-JFK via AMS in the 90’s? Or perhaps a tag on to VIE via AMS?

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by SQ773ER View Post
                            Or perhaps a tag on to VIE via AMS?
                            You do realize that it involves quite a bit of backtracking, a very unappealing and inefficient way to get to VIE? As a one-stop, it would be uncompetitive against other one-stop options such as LOT and Qatar.

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Jumbojet Lover View Post
                              You do realize that it involves quite a bit of backtracking, a very unappealing and inefficient way to get to VIE? As a one-stop, it would be uncompetitive against other one-stop options such as LOT and Qatar.
                              With insufficient premium traffic, Vienna could most probably be a future Scoot route ( similar to Athens and Berlin).
                              My past and future travels

                              My Travel Map

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