SINGAPORE: A Scoot flight bound for Singapore was forced to turn back to Bangkok an hour into its journey on Wednesday (Jan 30) due to an unaccompanied cabin bag that was unclaimed.
The airline said Scoot flight TR607 landed safely at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport at around 2.10pm local time (3.10pm Singapore time).
“Preliminary investigations revealed that before departure, our ground handling agent had seen an unattended bag in the gatehold room, and handed it to our cabin crew, in the belief that it belonged to one of the passengers from TR607.
“The crew accepted the bag, which was a breach of security protocols, and was unable to determine its owner,” Scoot said in a statement.
READ: Scoot flight from Gold Coast to Singapore diverted after passenger causes disruption
Scoot flight TR607 turned back to Bangkok about an hour into its journey on Jan 30, 2019. (Image: Flight Aware)
“The captain was not informed of this issue until the flight had departed … After the captain was made aware of the situation, he decided to turn back to Bangkok,” Scoot said.
Passengers had to disembark from the aircraft and security personnel conducted the necessary checks, it added. The bag was also removed from the aircraft by the authorities.
“We sincerely apologise for the lapse and we will review our training processes to prevent a recurrence,” Scoot said.
Flight TR607 was rescheduled to depart Bangkok at around 7.30pm local time with a new operating crew.
“BLACK LAPTOP BAG”
A Channel NewsAsia reader who was on the flight said passengers underwent security screening again after they disembarked.
“Airport authorities were swift and provided food and drinks while waiting for further instructions.”
The passenger, who did not want to be identified, said that during the flight, the cabin crew “went from row to row” to ask passengers if the bag belonged to them. The passenger said the bag resembled a black laptop bag.
“All passengers were very cooperative. I just want to highlight the great job by the pilot and crew, especially airport staff who were efficient.”
Video footage taken by the reader showed security personnel, police vehicles as well as an ambulance on the tarmac.
READ: Scoot passengers stranded in Taipei on New Year’s Eve after flight to Singapore delayed
This latest delay is the latest in a string of woes for the airline.
A Scoot flight from Singapore bound for Gold Coast was forced to turn back midway through the flight earlier on Wednesday after the aircraft’s front windshield “sustained some damage”.
In December, Scoot passengers were stranded in Athens for nearly three days after repeated delays.
Another Scoot flight from Bangkok was hit by a 29-hour delay in November after the aircraft encountered technical difficulties.
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