Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight from Brisbane were due to land in Singapore on Wednesday evening. Instead, they spent part of the evening at Rockhampton Airport in Queensland after smoke was detected in the cabin.
Singapore Airlines / David Syphers / Unsplash
Flight SQ236 left Brisbane at 2.32pm on Wednesday, 11 November, and made an emergency landing in Rockhampton at 4.09pm local time. Fire crews and paramedics responded at the airport. Singapore Airlines told CNA that everyone got off the plane normally, and ABC News reported that there were no injuries.
What passengers saw on board
One passenger told The Straits Times he first realised something was wrong when cabin crew began checking the overhead bins. He saw faint smoke from his seat. Other passengers told ABC News they saw screens on the aircraft go dark. Singapore Airlines said it was investigating what caused the smoke.
A longer wait for travellers heading to Singapore
Among those on board was a group of schoolchildren travelling on an excursion. After landing, passengers waited in a lounge at Rockhampton Airport while Singapore Airlines arranged another plane. The airline said it was providing refreshments and helping passengers rebook onward travel where needed.
For travellers with connections in Singapore, the diversion also meant figuring out what would happen to the rest of their trip. CNA reported that one passenger’s sister contacted the airline on X, asking about her sister’s connecting flights and raising concerns about access to food while she waited. The airline said its teams were working to assist affected passengers.
The original flight was due at Changi Airport at 8.25pm on Wednesday. The airline’s tracker listed the replacement flight to leave Rockhampton at midnight local time and arrive in Singapore at 5.23am on Thursday, 12 November. That put the scheduled arrival nearly nine hours later than planned. Singapore Airlines apologised to passengers for the disruption.
Source (CNA)
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