'It was worthwhile': SIA employees on their experiences during repatriation flights from the Middle East

Her young child slept peacefully for four hours during the flight from Muscat to Singapore, the mother told Singapore Airlines (SIA) in-flight manager Gan Bee Bee.

That was the longest undisturbed sleep the little boy had enjoyed in two weeks, the mother added. And after waking, he danced in the Airbus A350 cabin during the repatriation flight from the capital of Oman.

"Thinking about that, I think it was worthwhile," said Gan, 47, an SIA veteran of 25 years.

Gan and 12 cabin crew members did their best to ensure the peace and comfort of the passengers during the national carrier's first repatriation flight from Muscat.

The in-flight manager also tried to keep her colleagues' spirits up by telling them to "think about what you would like to have for supper tonight" and reminding them that they would be touching down in Singapore soon enough.

And her own source of motivation? Enjoying chwee kueh the next morning.

Passengers on board were quite emotional during take-off from Muscat, with some cheering, tearing up or gazing out of the windows in deep thought, noted Gan.

"One of our passengers told us: 'I'm finally home after several tries'," she added.

It was one of two SIA repatriation flights from Muscat in March to take Singaporeans and their dependants home.

When the plane landed at Changi Airport, Gan said she was touched by the announcement welcoming Singaporeans and Singapore residents home.

"That feeling was... I only had a small role – there are people doing a lot of work behind (the scenes), but I'm proud to be part of the team involved in this operation," said Gan.

Having kept the news of her involvement from her elderly parents to prevent them from worrying, Gan made sure to give her mother a ring after touching down.

"Being the typical auntie she was, (she went:) 'aiyo!' But she mentioned – in her second sentence – thank you for bringing them back," she quipped.

Efforts to mount SIA's repatriation flights had begun about a week before, Captain Leonard Wee told The Straits Times, as the pilots had to prepare for various procedures at Muscat International Airport since SIA does not fly there.

The chief pilot of the airline's Airbus A350 fleet said this was no different from preparing to fly to a new destination, but the lead time was shortened due to the "urgency" caused by the conflict.

Following the US-Israel attack on Iran on Feb 28, and Iran's retaliation on most of the Gulf states, including the UAE and Oman, Singaporeans in the region were left scrambling to get home.

The 52-year-old, who has been a pilot with SIA for 26 years, had volunteered to operate the first of two SIA repatriation flights – and asked other pilots across various departments to step up.

"I thought it was important for me to lead this flight in – because the rest of my team was also willing (to participate). I feel that there was purpose in this mission," said Wee.

There were four pilots in the flight deck – two operating the aircraft and two acting as "extra pairs of eyes".

Wee noted that the pilots encountered some interference with the flight's navigation system, but they were trained to handle such situations.

On successfully bringing 152 Singaporeans and their dependants home, he felt "a sense of accomplishment", adding that the entire team – including pilots, ground personnel, station staff and cabin crew – was working towards the important goal of bringing fellow Singaporeans home.

Describing this flight as one of his most memorable, Wee said the feeling of returning home was good, and he got to enjoy supper with his wife and three children after that.

His 13-year-old daughter – who was more emotional and needed some reassurance before her dad piloted the plane – was "very happy" and gave him a hug, while his youngest daughter, 8, had prepared a little paper heart with the words "welcome home, Papa".

Contingency plans had been in place – such as having an engineering team and flight spares on board to fix technical issues, as well as stationing crew in another station outside Muscat in the event of a long delay at the city – but they were not activated, said Wee.

Also involved in these flights was Colin Aw, acting manager of airport operations at SIA, who planned the ground operations – from the checking in of passengers to baggage loading and refueling of the plane – to ensure that the flight departed from Muscat on time and safely.

The 34-year-old, who has been working at SIA for eight years, noted that there were challenges operating in an environment where the airline had no established presence.

This meant that he and his team needed to ensure there was enough fuel for the two-way journey between Singapore and Muscat. They also activated the Dubai ground support team to handle flight operations in Muscat.

One of the unexpected trip-ups was the sudden ineligibility of handwritten boarding passes for immigration clearance, said Aw. But this was solved by e-mailing the boarding passes to Muscat International Airport, and printing the passes out on A4-sized paper.

Noting that this is the first time he has supported such a repatriation flight, Aw said it felt "fulfilling and rewarding" the moment the first repatriation flight was airborne.

But Aw could not rest just yet: He also managed the ground operations for the second SIA-operated repatriation flight less than 24 hours later on March 8.

The second flight carried 167 Singaporeans and their dependants home, alongside citizens from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and South Korea.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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