Scoot flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on Feb 9 cancelled after ‘technical fault’ detected

SINGAPORE – A flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on budget carrier Scoot on Feb 9 was cancelled over a technical fault that could not be fixed before the flight’s scheduled departure.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, Scoot – the budget arm of Singapore Airlines – said a “technical fault” was detected on Flight TR497, bound for Singapore from Kuala Lumpur, before its scheduled departure at 10pm that day.

The flight was cancelled because its engineers needed more time to fix the issue, the airline said, adding that affected customers were provided with accommodation, refreshments and on-ground transport.

According to data from flight tracking website FlightAware, the aircraft in use that day was a Boeing 787-8.

Affected passengers were placed on alternative flights, where available, Scoot said. Those who chose not to continue their journey were offered a full refund, it added.

A passenger on the cancelled flight, Mr Mehdi Bensouda Korachi, 42, said he and other passengers were told – while on board the plane – that there was an issue with the aircraft’s brakes.

Mr Mehdi, a freelance consultant from Paris, said they were told that ground crew required more time to resolve the issue.

The passengers were eventually informed at around 1am that the flight would be cancelled, after being stuck on the plane for at least three hours, with a bus arriving to pick up the passengers at about 2am, he said.

Mr Mehdi said he reached the hotel at around 5.30am, and was taken back to the airport at 7am to check in for the alternative flight he was booked on – SQ107.

The flight landed in Singapore at 12.25pm on Feb 10, based on data from FlightAware.

When asked how he felt during the ordeal, Mr Mehdi said he was “trying not to lose it”.

He said: “We (the passengers) didn’t lose hope that we’ll eventually make it to Singapore, but the more we waited, the more the hope vanished.

“We all felt exhausted at the end, and very frustrated that they didn’t release us earlier. At least we could have enjoyed better rest.”

Describing the situation as “total chaos”, Mr Mehdi said that more than 200 passengers were affected, and some of them had flight connections to make in Singapore.

A spokesperson for the airline said: “Scoot sincerely apologises for the disruption and inconvenience caused.

“The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to provide assistance to the affected customers, where necessary.”