'9 hours of wasted time': Passengers on Scoot flight from Melaka upset over long delays, cancellation

Flying from Melaka to Singapore usually takes less than an hour, but some travellers recently took over half a day to reach their destination.

They were kept waiting at the Melaka International Airport for nine hours last Friday (Jan 10) before the flight was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

A passenger on the flight, Marcus Lim, documented his experience and shared it on Facebook on Jan 11.

According to flight records, Scoot flight TR403 was scheduled to depart Melaka at 10.15pm on Jan 10.

Lim, who arrived at the airport at around 7.30pm, noted that there was no sign of a plane at the gate by 9.45pm.

When he asked airport staff about this, they explained that the flight was delayed due to bad weather. 

The plane arrived at the gate at around 11pm, but passengers were barred from boarding. 

At about 2.30am, passengers were asked to board the plane, but they were kept waiting for another hour before the captain announced further delays due to a technical issue with the engine, according to Lim.

Complaining about "9 hours of wasted time" at the airport, Lim made the decision to drive back to Singapore instead of waiting for the next Scoot flight.

Scoot had only informed passengers of the flight cancellation later that day at 12.40pm, according to screenshots of text messages provided by Lim to 8World News.

Lim complained of the unprofessional service from Scoot, adding that staff manning the helpline "(didn't) know anything yet regarding this flight" and that he could only be compensated in vouchers.

Scoot told 8World that flight TR403 was cancelled due to an issue with the fuel tanker. 

The spokesperson added that passengers were provided with accommodation and meals. Alternative transportation to Singapore was also provided at 2pm the following day. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Scoot and Lim for additional information.

Tough weather conditions amid monsoon surge

Singapore experienced a monsoon surge over the weekend between Jan 10 and Jan 13, with average daily total rainfall ranging from 44.4mm to 120.2mm across the four-day stretch, Meteorological Service Singapore told local media on Tuesday (Jan 14).

The strong winds, coupled with the heavy downpour, resulted in multiple incoming flights — 12 to Changi Airport and six to Seletar Airport — being diverted.

On Jan 12, Scoot flight TR403 from Melaka to Singapore was delayed on the ground by nearly two hours. 

Flights originally headed for Changi were diverted to regional airports such as Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur and Batam, Changi Airport Group told local media.

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dana.leong@asiaone.com