SINGAPORE – A Singapore Airlines flight to Frankfurt was delayed for more than 1½ hours on April 22, after a catering truck “made contact with” the plane at Changi Airport.
The return flight, scheduled for later the same day, was subsequently cancelled because of the delay, and a curfew at the Frankfurt Airport, the flag carrier said in a media reply on April 23.
An SIA spokesperson said flight SQ326 was scheduled to depart Singapore for Frankfurt at 12.35pm on April 22.
But the flight was delayed after a catering truck “made contact with the Airbus A380’s engine ahead of boarding, requiring repairs and an aircraft change”.
No customers were on board the aircraft when the incident occurred, the spokesperson said, adding that there were no injuries.
SIA did not disclose the truck’s operator, nor the extent of the damage to the plane’s engine. The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest commercial passenger jet and is equipped with four engines.
Affected customers were offered refreshments while they waited for a replacement aircraft, the spokesperson added.
The flight subsequently departed Singapore at 2.13pm with 452 customers and 28 crew on board, and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, at 8.40pm local time the same day, said the spokesperson.
Flight SQ325, which was slated to operate from Frankfurt to Singapore on April 22, was subsequently cancelled due to SQ326’s late arrival and the Frankfurt Airport curfew, the spokesperson added.
The flight operating hours at Frankfurt Airport run from 5am to 11pm local time, with no scheduled take-offs or landings allowed outside of these hours, according to the airport’s website.
Information on flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed that the same plane was to be used for both flights.
The turnaround process – involving offloading passengers, cleaning, refueling, catering and boarding new passengers – can range from 90 minutes to more than two hours for long-haul flights.
All customers were provided with the necessary assistance, including hotel accommodation and rebooking of affected customers’ connecting flights, the SIA spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the airline sincerely apologises to all affected customers for the inconvenience caused, adding that the safety of its customers and crew is always its top priority.
ST has contacted the Ministry of Transport and Changi Airport Group for more information.