Singapore
SIA Flight Returns to San Francisco Due to Unruly Passenger Incident
A Singapore Airlines flight bound for Singapore was diverted back to San Francisco after a passenger became unruly and injured himself.
SINGAPORE – A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight bound for Singapore was diverted back to San Francisco on October 14 due to an incident involving an unruly passenger. The flight, SQ31, had taken off at 11:51 AM local time (2:51 AM Singapore time) and was scheduled to arrive in Singapore around 7 PM on October 15.
According to a spokesperson from SIA, the passenger became unruly during the flight and injured himself in the process. Specific details regarding the passenger's actions were not disclosed. The pilots assessed the situation and made the decision to return to San Francisco, where the aircraft landed safely at approximately 8:40 PM local time, nearly nine hours after departure.
“The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority.”Singapore Airlines spokesperson
Upon landing, the passenger was handed over to local authorities. SIA has stated that it is cooperating with the relevant authorities regarding the incident. The airline expressed its gratitude to both the crew and passengers who assisted in managing the situation on board.
Following the diversion, the flight was rescheduled to depart again from San Francisco at around 11:20 PM local time with a new crew. SIA has apologized for the inconvenience caused to passengers and is providing assistance, including rebooking for connecting flights.
“We thank our customers and crew members who assisted in managing the situation on board the flight.”Singapore Airlines spokesperson
Reports from passengers on Reddit described the incident as chaotic, with one user claiming that the individual began screaming and kicking seats about three hours into the flight, attempting to reach an emergency exit. However, these accounts are unverified, and SIA did not confirm whether the passenger attempted to open the emergency exit.
Flight tracking data indicated that SQ31 had traveled significantly into the North Pacific before returning to San Francisco. The aircraft involved was an Airbus A350-900.