Although it is a common occurrence, anyone would still be upset over their flight being delayed, as it would disrupt their schedule, especially if they had another flight to catch. Whether it’s due to technical issues, severe weather, or rude passengers, sometimes there’s no avoiding delays. But imagine being stuck at an airport for nine hours before being notified that your flight was cancelled.
Recently, a Scoot TR403 flight was scheduled to depart from Malacca International Airport at 10:15 pm on 10 January (Friday) and arrive in Singapore an hour later at 11:10 pm. However, the aircraft experienced technical issues that prevented it from taking off. One passenger recalled the events of that day. Here’s his story:
A passenger named Lin recounted the night of the incident and shared with 8World what he and the other passengers experienced. Lin and his family arrived at the airport at around 8pm and completed the necessary procedures before their flight. However, when it was time to board, the family noticed that the aircraft was nowhere in sight. “I checked FlightRadar and saw that the flight was delayed due to weather, which was understandable,” he told the news outlet.
The plane eventually arrived at around 11 pm, but after an hour, passengers were still not allowed to board, and that’s when Lin suspected something was wrong. When asked about the situation, the staff replied that it was due to weather conditions. Passengers then grew impatient, prompting the Scoot staff to hand out water bottles and snacks. At 2:30am, they were finally allowed to board the aircraft. Lin fell asleep on the flight but when he woke up 30 minutes later, he noticed that they hadn’t departed yet.
It was then that the captain informed passengers through the PA system to disembark the aircraft, as there was something wrong with its engine. “I was furious because we waited for so long. I even asked earlier if there was a problem with the plane, but they kept saying it was the weather. Why couldn’t they inform us earlier that the plane couldn’t fly? We could’ve made other arrangements instead of waiting from 8pm to 4am!” said the angered passenger.
Due to the cancellation, Lin incurred losses from the cost of his Singapore hotel booking as well as alternative transportation to reach the country. He demanded RM6,200 in compensation from Scoot. The airline issued an official statement apologising for the incident. A spokesperson told 8World that Scoot had provided accommodation, meals, and transportation for affected passengers the following day.
“Due to severe weather in Singapore and surrounding areas last weekend, several flights experienced delays or had to reschedule their departure times. We apologise for the inconvenience caused and Scoot will continue to monitor weather conditions closely and make operational adjustments as needed as the safety and well-being of passengers and crew remain our top priority,” they said.
Source: 8World
