Two Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights from Singapore to Thailand were delayed by more than four hours on 15 August after separate technical problems affected their scheduled aircraft.
The Bangkok-bound flight carried 272 passengers, while another 117 passengers were booked on the Phuket-bound service.
Replacement aircraft were eventually deployed for both flights.
Bangkok Flight Delayed by About Four Hours
Flight SQ710 was scheduled to leave Changi Airport for Bangkok at 12.45pm.
According to SIA, the Boeing 787-10 assigned to the flight developed a problem with its air-conditioning system while it was on the ground.
Engineers required more time to address the fault, so passengers were transferred to another aircraft.
The replacement plane departed at 4.49pm, four hours and four minutes after the original departure time. It reached Bangkok at 6.28pm local time.
Phuket Flight Left More Than Six Hours Late
Flight SQ732, which was scheduled to depart for Phuket at 1.15pm, encountered a separate issue involving a wing slat.
Wing slats are movable panels along the front portion of an aircraft’s wings. They help generate additional lift during lower-speed stages of a flight, including take-off and landing.
SIA said the Boeing 737-8 assigned to SQ732 was still on the ground when the fault was detected.
As resolving it would take more time, and the original crew would have exceeded regulated flight-time limits, the airline arranged both a replacement aircraft and another crew.
The flight departed at 7.46pm, six hours and 31 minutes behind schedule, before arriving in Phuket at 8.32pm local time.
Passengers Received Food Vouchers and Assistance
SIA apologised for the disruption and said affected passengers received food vouchers, regular updates and assistance from its ground staff.
Customers were also rebooked on alternative flights as part of the assistance provided.
The airline said passenger and crew safety remained its highest priority.
