When Flight SQ861 Took a Sudden Detour
On Thursday, Nov 15, Singapore Airlines flight SQ861 was supposed to touch down at Changi around 7:45 pm. Instead, the plane pulled up to the less‑popular Paya Lebar Airbase, roughly four hours later at 11:35 pm. The culprit? A traffic jam in the skies above Changi.
Passenger Confusion & Real‑Time Updates
- Clarence, a Stomp contributor: At 8:06 pm he told our team that the airplane was headed to Paya Lebar.
- Initially, the captain announced the landing destination, but passengers thought they were disembarking — one started rummaging through overhead bins “just in case we were on the ground.
- Clarence’s wife turned to the airline for a quick check; the airline admitted “no word,” so she called Changi Airport. The staff finally explained the jam in the air traffic.
Timeline of the “Airbase Adventure”
At 10:21 pm, Clarence confirmed that the crew had explained the congestion and that other planes had also been diverted to the airbase.
At 10:47 pm, the plane began its brief take‑off toward Changi, proudly announcing “Singapore to Singapore” on the blue‑screen display.
By 11:28 pm Clarence was back on the jet, ready to land at the real airport.
Official Statements from Singapore Airlines
- The SIA spokesperson agreed with the passenger’s account: “SQ861 from Hong Kong was diverted to Paya Lebar because of air traffic congestion at Changi.”
- The plane landed at Paya Lebar at 8:14 pm and offered drinks to all passengers while it waited.
- After holding there for a while, the flight departed again at 10:49 pm and arrived at Changi at 11:35 pm.
Even though the trip ended a full four hours later than scheduled, many passengers appreciated the extra in‑flight perk — a nice sip of coffee while we were stuck in mid‑air limbo. Cheers to the crew for navigating this unexpected detour with calm and a few extra drinks in the mix!
