Singapore Airlines flight from Istanbul delayed by 38 hours, rescheduled 3 times

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Istanbul to Singapore was rescheduled three times and delayed for a total of 38 hours due to a technical malfunction. 

The original flight, SQ391, had been scheduled to depart Istanbul on Friday (Dec 12) at 1.15pm, but returned to the bay due to a technical issue with the aircraft's flaps. 

A passenger named Rose documented her experience on the flight through several posts on Instagram, particularly during the initial delay that reportedly had passengers waiting on board the plane for two hours. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from SIA said the 229 passengers onboard were not asked to disembark but were given food and beverages while engineers attempted to resolve the issue. 

"This was done to facilitate a quicker departure if our engineers could successfully resolve the technical issue," the spokesperson said. 

However, the flight was ultimately delayed as engineers needed a spare part and more time to repair the aircraft. 

According to SIA, all passengers were provided with hotel accommodations and dining vouchers throughout the delay, and that the airline helped affected passengers rebook connecting flights. 

SQ391 was renumbered to SQ9391, and departed Istanbul two days later on Dec 14 at 3am. The flight arrived in Singapore the same day at 7.14pm. 

"The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority," said the airline. 

'Communication could have been clearer'

Speaking to AsiaOne, Rose, 44, said she was travelling back to Singapore after a weeklong trip with her family to Istanbul. 

Her relatives had booked separate flights with Turkish Airlines, so she was travelling alone. 

While Rose felt that the compensation and accommodation provided by SIA were "sufficient", she said the airline's "communication could have been clearer", especially when passengers were asked to disembark and had "quite a wait" before receiving further instructions. 

"At the hotel, there was an SIA queries desk. Updates about the next flight were given through slips of paper through the hotel room door and messages from the reception on the TV screens in the room," she explained. 

Rose had been anxious to get updates, especially since she had been scheduled to attend a wedding on Dec 13, which she ultimately missed. 

"I told myself that it was better to get home safely," she said, adding that the experience also allowed her to get to know other passengers. 

"It helped that we gave emotional support to each other." 

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dana.leong@asiaone.com