Scoot hit by more than 30 flight cancellations, cites ‘operational reasons’ for changes, Singapore News

More than 30 flights operated by low-cost airline Scoot were canceled in a recent five-day period, which the airline said was due to operational reasons.

From May 2 to May 6, 33 Scoot flights were cancelled, according to data from Changi Airport’s website. Some of these flights were traveling to or from Bangkok in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Manila in the Philippines.

On May 4, heavy rain delayed 27 flights departing from Changi Airport. Twelve departing and arriving Scoot flights were canceled that day, according to checks carried out by The Straits Times.

On May 7, two Scoot flights were rescheduled and there was no cancellation. A Scoot flight was rescheduled on May 8 and no flights were cancelled.

In response to questions from ST on May 6, Scoot – the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines (SIA) – apologized for changes to some of its flight schedules, which it attributed to “operational reasons”.

“We are working to reaccommodate affected customers on alternative flights where appropriate and will also continue to provide them with assistance wherever possible,” the airline said, adding that it will provide full refunds to those who decide not to continue with their travel plans.

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In a Facebook post on May 3, which was later deleted, Scoot also cited “operational reasons” for changing the schedule of several flights scheduled for May 3-5, May 10-12, and May 17-19. .

The airline added that it was progressively informing affected passengers of the revised flight schedules via email and text messages.

Scoot did not elaborate on the operational reasons behind the scheduling changes or provide ST with the number of flights affected.

Aviation analysts told ST that labor shortages and problems with engines and aircraft are possible reasons for such flight cancellations.

Six Scoot pilots and cabin crew, past and present, spoke to ST last week on condition of anonymity, because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

A cabin crew member, who has been with Scoot for about two years, said some cabin crew have recently left the airline for various reasons, including moving to other airlines or leaving the industry altogether.

A former cabin crew member, who left the airline in April after two years, said standby cabin crew were called up almost 100 per cent of the time. Crew standby can be activated for flights at short notice when someone calls in sick.

Another current cabin crew member for more than two years said some crew members do not get enough rest between flights, and this could have resulted in more requests for sick leave.

Scoot did not comment on whether the cabin crew shortage was a contributing factor to the flight cancellations.

Mayur Patel, Asia director at aviation data consultancy OAG, said labor shortages have been a major issue affecting the global aviation industry.

He added that the large number of Scoot flight cancellations in this period was unusual and cited engine problems on Pratt & Whitney aircraft as another possible factor.

Scoot previously said inspections for a possible rare manufacturing defect in the engines, which could cause some engine parts to crack, would affect four of the engines powering its Airbus A320neo fleet. This could force it to adjust some of its flights, the airline added.

Scoot later said three of its A320neos were grounded due to manufacturing faults, compared to the previous two.

Patel added that many airlines are reviewing their flight schedules due to cancellations resulting from these engine overhauls and repairs.

Greg Waldron, Asia editor-in-chief of Singapore-based aviation publication FlightGlobal, said flight cancellations could be due to a variety of factors, including weather, technical problems with aircraft and air traffic control issues.

Labor shortages have also been a challenge for the sector, as it lost many skilled workers – pilots, flight attendants and ground and maintenance staff – during the pandemic, he added.

The labor crisis has led other airlines to cancel flights in recent months.

During the Christmas and New Year season in December 2023 and January 2024, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific canceled more than 80 flights due to a shortage of pilots.

More recently, Indian airline Vistara (co-owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group and SIA) canceled about 10 percent of its flights in April due to crew unavailability.

Tax director Girish Naik, 52, was due to leave Singapore for Ipoh in Malaysia on April 28 at 6.45am, but was told his Scoot flight had been canceled only around 5am, when arrived at Changi airport.

Although he was offered a seat on the next flight scheduled to depart about five hours later, Girish was upset that he had lost “valuable vacation time,” having woken up early in the morning to catch his original flight.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.