A Singapore Airlines flight from Johannesburg to Singapore has been delayed by 36 hours due to technical difficulties, causing frustration among affec
A Singapore Airlines flight from Johannesburg to Singapore has been delayed by 36 hours due to technical difficulties, causing frustration among affected passengers. Flight SQ481, which was originally set to depart on 11 December, was rescheduled twice and eventually moved to 13 December.
A Mothership reader reported that the flight was scheduled to depart at 22:30 local time (04:30 SGT) on 11 December but was first delayed to 07:00 on 12 December to allow crew members sufficient rest. However, when passengers arrived at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport on the morning of 12 December, they were informed that the flight would face a further delay due to a “technical issue”.
By 11:00 local time (17:00 SGT), passengers were notified that the flight would now depart the following day. According to the reader, this was because a spare part had to be flown in from Singapore to address the issue. Additionally, the flight number was changed to SQ9479 as part of the adjustments.
Many passengers expressed dissatisfaction with the disruption, with some caught in particularly stressful situations, such as being on their honeymoon or just beginning their holiday plans.
This incident follows another delay just days earlier when a separate SIA flight from Cape Town to Singapore was postponed from 10 December to 11 December due to a similar technical fault.
An SIA spokesperson explained that the initial retiming of SQ481 to 12 December was operationally driven. However, a technical issue was discovered at the airport, and upon investigation, it was determined that a spare part was necessary to complete repairs. To address the inconvenience, the airline has distributed meal vouchers and arranged overnight hotel accommodation for affected passengers.
“The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority,” the spokesperson stated, adding their sincere apologies for the disruption.
The rescheduled SQ9479 departed Johannesburg at 11:02 local time (17:02 SGT) on 13 December and is expected to arrive in Singapore at 03:15 SGT on 14 December.
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