May 2, 2024
SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines (SIA) and budget carrier Scoot faced protracted delays taking off from parts of southern China on April 30 as torrential rain swept the region, grounding a spate of flights.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, SIA said two of its flights to Singapore – SQ825 from Shanghai and SQ801 from Beijing – were delayed due to “inclement weather”.
Four Scoot flights were affected, though Scoot declined to say how many passengers were involved.
The SIA flight out of Shanghai took off about four hours after the scheduled time, with 330 customers and 15 crew members on board. Refreshments were provided, said SIA.
The flight out of Beijing, SQ801, departed slightly more than six hours after the scheduled time, with 292 customers and 16 crew members on board.
Passengers on SQ801 waited at least three hours in the stationary aircraft, according to social media posts from passengers, but were later deplaned to the gatehold room, where they stayed till the end of the storm.
On April 30, China’s meteorological authority renewed the orange alert issued on April 29, the most severe of its three-tiered weather warning system, on the back of forecasts that included lashing rain, gales and hail in parts of Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong.
On April 27, a tornado hit mega city Guangzhou, killing five and injuring 33. In all, 141 factory buildings were damaged, reported Xinhua.
The situation in the region remains “fluid” and passengers are advised to visit the SIA website to check the status of their flights, SIA added.