When Perth’s runway turned into a waiting room
Imagine booking a flight from Melbourne to Singapore, and then finding yourself stuck on the tarmac for five hours. That was the reality for 295 travellers on Scoot flight TR19 last Sunday, January 27.
The glitch that grounded the journey
TR19 was scheduled to depart Melbourne at 1:20 pm and land at 6:45 pm Singapore time. Instead, the aircraft was grounded for rectification work after a technical snitch popped up. Scoot’s crew says they rushed the plane back to serviceable status and moved to get it on track – but the flight still vanished from the timetable around 6:50 pm after the crew exceeded their flight‑time limits.
Who got off the plane first? The “early‑bird” crew
- Passengers were first funneled onto Singapore Airlines SQ248, which left Melbourne at 6:15 pm.
- Those still waiting were then assigned to SQ218, which departed roughly at 1 am on Monday.
- For those who didn’t fit onto the two morning flights, Scoot provided meals and a hotel stay before rescheduling them for SL-AI SQ238 (10:35 am, Monday) and TR19 (1:20 pm, Monday).
The waiting game
While a quick pan‑Pacific stroll was staged, the airline busied itself transporting this group to alternative flights. But the plan still had a hiccup: the number of seats that could be transferred was limited, so some travellers had to wait in a long, slow‑moving queue. The staff at the gate, apparently overwhelmed by the queue, handled the situation “as soon as possible,” but many felt it was a bit of a nightmare.
Social media erupts
Passengers simply couldn’t keep quiet. They took to Twitter and Facebook in good (or bad) humour.
- On Twitter, user Colin Breame shared a moment: “@flyscoot 7hrs stuck on the runway, no info, passengers queuing at empty desks #flyscootsucks.”
- Facebook user Caroline David bemoaned the lack of refreshments, “There was a long and slow‑moving queue for those waiting to be reassigned… no drinks for hours.”
Adding to the list of Scoot shuffle dramas
TR19 is not the only misstep this budget airline has experienced recently.
- Last week, TR7 from Gold Coast to Singapore diverted to Sydney after an unruly passenger soar‑around.
- On December 30th last year, TR899 (Taipei‑Singapore) hit a similar snag, keeping 350 passengers over New Year’s in Taipei.
- Earlier this month, TR713 from Athens experienced a 56‑hour delay, with disembarkation and re‑boarding happening lavishly 3 times over two days.
Scuttlebutt on the internet: each list adds to the growing narrative that Scoot’s flights seem prone to detours, delays, and “technical issues” that turn mega‑fans into mega‑cancellations.
In brief
Even though footnote as a ticket‑wise hiccup may look small, those impacted might consider it.
While the airline apologizes for the inconvenience, some passengers at the gates still find themselves telling stories on their phone, making “together” and “upgrades” the way to the next flight.
