Singapore Airlines Flight Delays & Disruptions

[ell3]

What does interest me about last night’s disruption were a few things:

1) how 3x Jetstar flights made the choice to divert to KUL after circling just awhile. Suggests they carry little fuel reserves?

2) why to KUL instead of BTH/XLP/QPG

3) at the same time while SQ208 & TR895 & MI521 were landing at BTH, a KE 77W (after holding quite a while too) got clearance and landed at Changi

[flyguy]

What does interest me about last night’s disruption were a few things:

1) how 3x Jetstar flights made the choice to divert to KUL after circling just awhile. Suggests they carry little fuel reserves?

2) why to KUL instead of BTH/XLP/QPG

3) at the same time while SQ208 & TR895 & MI521 were landing at BTH, a KE 77W (after holding quite a while too) got clearance and landed at Changi

For the 3K flights, the pilots must have been informed that Changi will be closed for more than half hour and is then yet unknown the exact time and hence the diversion to KUL instead of flying around and the planes should have only about a hour of fuel for flying before declaring an emergency low fuel.
Believed its better to diviert to KUL and even for SQ should divert to KUL unless KUL is unable to accept more diversions. This is because 3K and SQ have their local staff/agent in KUL and is their station too, and if one notice for BTH which is a non station for them, it takes much longer to coordinate fuel and zero refreshment upload even if requested.

[9V-JKL]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...-control-tower

Fire alarm went off in Tower causing evacuation

[MainlyMiles]

What does interest me about last night’s disruption were a few things:

1) how 3x Jetstar flights made the choice to divert to KUL after circling just awhile. Suggests they carry little fuel reserves?

2) why to KUL instead of BTH/XLP/QPG

3) at the same time while SQ208 & TR895 & MI521 were landing at BTH, a KE 77W (after holding quite a while too) got clearance and landed at Changi

Actually 4 Jetstar flights diverted to KUL - 3K538, 3K514, 3K766 & 3K206.

When you look at how long they spent on the ground there:

3K538: 01:27
3K514: 01:50
3K766: 01:26
3K206: 01:29

compared to how long the BTH/QPG diversions spent on the ground:

TR895: 03:03
MI521: 03:06
TR891: 03:53
SQ208: 03:17

You start to think maybe Jetstar go to KUL for a reason

All four Jetstar flights were back in Changi before any of the others even set off from BTH/QPG

[flyguy]

Like I have mentioned because KUL is 3K station and it flies there a few times daily, it have its own staff and agents in KUL which they can call upon for assistance and they have all the necessary facility ready in KUL as its their active station for example like refuelling and even uplift of refreshments if needed. This is as opposed to BTH or even JHB where they have no agent or representatives on the ground to facilitate.

[MainlyMiles]

Like I have mentioned because KUL is 3K station and it flies there a few times daily, it have its own staff and agents in KUL which they can call upon for assistance and they have all the necessary facility ready in KUL as its their active station for example like refuelling and even uplift of refreshments if needed. This is as opposed to BTH or even JHB where they have no agent or representatives on the ground to facilitate.

So why don't SQ/MI/TR do that?

[flyguy]

So why don't SQ/MI/TR do that?

That you have to ask the airline. Believed some years ago, an SQ plane was diverted to Batam due to weather and it took nearly 6 hours for it to be able to fly back to SIN and SQ apologised to the pax as to why they were not served any food or drinks as it have ran out on the plane and remembered SQ reply was that they do not have the facility in Batam to do that and even for fuel have to seek help from other agents, as Batam is not even their offline station.

[ponders]

That you have to ask the airline. Believed some years ago, an SQ plane was diverted to Batam due to weather and it took nearly 6 hours for it to be able to fly back to SIN and SQ apologised to the pax as to why they were not served any food or drinks as it have ran out on the plane and remembered SQ reply was that they do not have the facility in Batam to do that and even for fuel have to seek help from other agents, as Batam is not even their offline station.

I also think in general Airline policy dictates which airport to divert on top of the alternate airport they have planned in the flight plans.

TR891 most likely landed at QPG due to fuel and it meets the criteria to land at QPG. I believe QPG is a last resort alternate only if KUL, BTH and JHB are not options. I might be wrong, but so far diversion landings at QPG have been Singapore registered aircraft.

BTH operation hours are 0000-1400Z, this could be why it took at least 3 hours to turn around the aircraft. But perhaps for legal or commercial reasons it might have been better for certain airlines to land at BTH instead of KUL.

[MainlyMiles]

BTH operation hours are 0000-1400Z.

BTH is open 24 hours, as is QPG.

You might be thinking of JHB, which is only open 2230-1600z, or XSP which prohibits flights 1400-2300z except in an emergency.

[sbs2716g]

SQ288 (23/JAN) operated by 9V-SWI will be skipping CBR. It is currently en-route to Singapore from Sydney. CBR airport is closed due to bush fire earlier. But it seem like that there are still some QF flights landing earlier.

[ponders]

BTH is open 24 hours, as is QPG.

You might be thinking of JHB, which is only open 2230-1600z, or XSP which prohibits flights 1400-2300z except in an emergency.

BTH is open 24 hours just that scheduled flight operations are 0000-1400Z. That's what I meant. 24 hours is such that diversions and emergencies are entertained but just that there are no scheduled flights outside this hours.

[flyguy]

BTH is open 24 hours, as is QPG.

You might be thinking of JHB, which is only open 2230-1600z, or XSP which prohibits flights 1400-2300z except in an emergency.

XSP Seletar is not able to take in a pax loaded A320 or 737 as runway is short and restricted and not able to take-off from XSP. However empty A320/737 are able to use XSP usually for some maintenance works.

[davidfusq]

XSP Seletar is not able to take in a pax loaded A320 or 737 as runway is short and restricted and not able to take-off from XSP. However empty A320/737 are able to use XSP usually for some maintenance works.

Isn't it more effective to let passengers especially those terminating in SIN to disembark at QPG or XSP instead of flying back to SIN...

[flyguy]

Isn't it more effective to let passengers especially those terminating in SIN to disembark at QPG or XSP instead of flying back to SIN...

Well but loaded pax jet aircrafts cannot land at XSP and these 2 are not designated as alternate airports to Changi. Even if they are allowed to land, there are immigration control and checks to be done which is not available for commercial passengers and secondly pax will then leave without their luggage as there are no ground equipment to unload the cargo containers with the baggage. Alternate airports for Changi are basically BTH, JHB and KUL.

[Not You]

SQ285|23JAN (SIN-AKL) operated by 9V-SKG diverted to RNZAF Base Ohakea due to Auckland Airport closure for emergency runway patch up.

As a result, SQ286|24JAN (AKL-SIN) was delayed 3hrs.
STD: 1515
ATD: 1836

Which led to SQ026|24JAN (SIN-FRA-JFK) to be retimed to depart 45mins later.
STD: 2355
ETD: 0040