Singapore Airlines flight diverted back to San Francisco

SINGAPORE – A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight bound for Singapore from San Francisco returned to the American city several hours after taking off on Oct 14 because of an unruly passenger on board.

In a media reply on Oct 15, an SIA spokesperson said the passenger on board SQ31 had injured himself in the process, without sharing details of his actions.

“The pilots assessed the situation and decided to return to San Francisco,” the spokesperson said, adding that the passenger was handed over to the local authorities after the flight landed.

Flight SQ31 had departed San Francisco on Oct 14 at 11.51am local time (2.51am Singapore time on Oct 15), and was scheduled to land in Singapore at around 7pm on Oct 15, according to Changi Airport’s live tracking website.

The SIA spokesperson said the plane landed uneventfully back at San Francisco International Airport at about 8.40pm, close to nine hours after it took off.

“SIA is working closely with the relevant authorities on this matter,” the spokesperson said.

The delayed flight then departed San Francisco at around 11.20pm local time with a new set of crew members, the spokesperson said.

The national carrier apologised for the inconvenience caused, adding that it is providing all necessary assistance, including rebooking of connecting flights.

“We thank our customers and crew members who assisted in managing the situation on board the flight,” the spokesperson said.

“The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority.”