TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Travelers on a Scoot airlines flight from Taipei to Singapore were delayed over 36 hours over the New Year’s holiday after the airplane experienced engine difficulties at Taoyuan International Airport.
Scoot airlines Flight TR899 had flown from Japan’s Narita Airport and was originally scheduled to depart Taiwan bound for Singapore at 4:10 p.m. on Sunday Dec. 30.
However, in the end, two alternate planes had to deployed from Singapore to transport the 365 passengers, who had all finally arrived at their destination on the morning of Jan. 1.
Understandably, many passengers were very unhappy that their holiday plans had been disrupted.
During the first attempt at takeoff, an electrical component in the plane malfunctioned which kept the flight from taking off. Passengers were forced to wait in the plane for three hours before being told that replacement parts had to be flown in from Singapore.
Eventually, passengers were able to leave the plane, after being told they needed to manage their own accommodation for the evening.
Many passengers ended up sleeping in the airport, while others were able to successfully find rooms during the busy holiday season.
Passengers returned to check-in at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 for a departure time scheduled for 11:00 a.m. The boarded the plane again at around noon, only to be told that the technical issue had persisted, even after the parts had been replaced.
Passengers disembarked at 2:45 p.m. after being told that flights were rescheduled for the evening. Two “rescue flights” were dispatched to bring the weary passengers to their destination, where they finally arrived in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, reports Mothership.
The first rescue flight arrived in Singapore at 2:56 a.m., with the second arriving at 4:37 a.m.
A Scoot spokesperson was quote by the Straits Times. “Safety is of utmost priority to Scoot, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers’ travel plans.”
The airline has reportedly offered to reimburse those who paid for accommodation on Dec. 30, and will provide all passengers with a US$100 voucher towards a future flight.
