SQ makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

[GeraldG]

Singapore Airlines jet makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan - Yahoo Singapore Finance

 

[samh004]

Good to hear nothing more than an incident, but will be interested to hear what the problem turns out to be.

 

[Programme]

SQ's official Facebook page states that there was a reported noise from the door on the previous flight but it was inspected in London and given the all clear to continue operations back to SIN... just before losing enough cabin pressure to force oxygen mask deployment and an emergency landing in Azerbaijan.

The passengers should be thankful that they are safe and well, but it sounds like some questions need to be asked here.

 

[defurax]

I love how some people seem to think that every country in the world will just let them leave the airport without a visa to get to the nearest hotel...

 

[maninblack]

And if a Qantas 380 took off with a known leaking door seal and had to make an emergency landing there would be at least 50 comments here and media galore but as it's SQ it's allowed to go through to the keeper. A huge number of Australians travel on SQ.

 

[RooFlyer]

And if a Qantas 380 took off with a known leaking door seal and had to make an emergency landing there would be at least 50 comments here and media galore but as it's SQ it's allowed to go through to the keeper. A huge number of Australians travel on SQ.

But there are non fatal air incidents a number of times every day by non Oz airlines which don't get reported either on AFF or in our media, many if not most of which carry Australian pax. Check out The Aviation Herald.

As for the number of comments here - well, I'm doing my bit and the OP was only made late last night.

 

[maninblack]

But there are non fatal air incidents a number of times every day by non Oz airlines which don't get reported either on AFF or in our media, many if not most of which carry Australian pax. Check out The Aviation Herald.

As for the number of comments here - well, I'm doing my bit and the OP was only made late last night.

Sure, but SQ is a major operator here, probably the 3rd biggest international carrier ex-AUS, and the story involves an emergency landing of an A380 so it has some legs.

 

[TomVexille]

I love how some people seem to think that every country in the world will just let them leave the airport without a visa to get to the nearest hotel...

Oh of course. After all, it's all about them... While being stuck in an airport for 18 hours isn't ideal, they are safe.

 

[TomVexille]

And if a Qantas 380 took off with a known leaking door seal and had to make an emergency landing there would be at least 50 comments here and media galore but as it's SQ it's allowed to go through to the keeper. A huge number of Australians travel on SQ.

Is that because many Australians see QF as "their" airline, even though they don't fly QF, or have any vested interest in the airline? Or that people expect perfection because QF is Australian.

 

[OATEK]

It's not a good look if the inspection in London failed to find something that later forces an emergency landing.

 

[Jane-Doe]

Singapore Airlines A380 superjumbo makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan Read more:

Singapore Airlines A380 superjumbo makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 superjumbo made an emergency landing in Azerbaijan on Monday due to a loss of cabin pressure, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport in the capital, Baku.
Flight SQ317 from London to Singapore landed safely without any injuries to the 467 passengers and 27 crew on board, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said.
"Oxygen masks were deployed and the aircraft landed uneventfully at Baku airport at 01:03 [2103 GMT Sunday]," he said.

This photo taken by passenger Steve Murphy early shows oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling of the Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 superjumbo as it lost cabin pressure. Photo: AFP​

​

In a statement posted on its Facebook site at 1100 GMT, the carrier said a replacement aircraft had left Singapore and was due to arrive in Baku about 1900 GMT on Monday.
Advertisement
It is expected to land in Singapore at 3.45pm local time (6.45pm ADST).


Read more: Singapore Airlines A380 superjumbo makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

Oops. Found already posted on AFF

 

[Jane-Doe]

Front Page of The Age today

Singapore Airlines A380 superjumbo makes emergency landing in Azerbaijan

 

[mel-world]

I think there are a couple of questions that can be asked as a result of the report in The Age.

Given SQ's normal attention to detail, the faulty door must have been passed as serviceable in London to allow the flight to take off. The fault must have deteriorated on the next leg. I would rather land safely in a strange country than try to finish the journey.

However, do the crew maintain visas for more countries than they are likely to land in as a result of their rosters? Do airline crew have a worldwide visa? I note the comment that the crew were nowhere to be seen in the airport and I guess they would need a Hotel and a break to take the replacement A380 back to SIN after 18 hours.

How can an airline (with no representation in a country they happen to overfly) expect supply visas and hotel rooms for 450+ pax at short notice when they are busy sending a replacement jet as quickly as possible. Knowing SQ, I am sure they would have done something if they were represented at the airport.

Maybe SQ should consider some compensation for meals once they arrive in SIN although travel insurance should cover delays.

The pax should be grateful they are not caught in the weather delays in the US at the moment. I cannot imagine US airlines doing much for diverted or delayed pax.

 

[defurax]

I think there are a couple of questions that can be asked as a result of the report in The Age.

Given SQ's normal attention to detail, the faulty door must have been passed as serviceable in London to allow the flight to take off. The fault must have deteriorated on the next leg. I would rather land safely in a strange country than try to finish the journey.

However, do the crew maintain visas for more countries than they are likely to land in as a result of their rosters? Do airline crew have a worldwide visa? I note the comment that the crew were nowhere to be seen in the airport and I guess they would need a Hotel and a break to take the replacement A380 back to SIN after 18 hours.

How can an airline (with no representation in a country they happen to overfly) expect supply visas and hotel rooms for 450+ pax at short notice when they are busy sending a replacement jet as quickly as possible. Knowing SQ, I am sure they would have done something if they were represented at the airport.

Maybe SQ should consider some compensation for meals once they arrive in SIN although travel insurance should cover delays.

The pax should be grateful they are not caught in the weather delays in the US at the moment. I cannot imagine US airlines doing much for diverted or delayed pax.

It seems that a lot of ICAO members have waiver to make life easier for flight crew:
"3.71 Contracting States shall waive the visa requirement for arriving crew memberspresenting CMCs, or for arriving crew members holding appropriate Operator-issued crew
member identification supported by advance electronic provision of satisfactory crew data or
appropriate notation of the General Declaration, when arriving in a duty status on an
international flight and seeking temporary entry for the period allowed by the receiving State
in order to join their next assigned flight in a duty status."
http://www.icao.int/Meetings/FALP/Documents/Falp5-2008/wp25_en.pdf

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>

How can an airline (with no representation in a country they happen to overfly) expect supply visas and hotel rooms for 450+ pax at short notice when they are busy sending a replacement jet as quickly as possible. Knowing SQ, I am sure they would have done something if they were represented at the airport.

<snip>

Just wondering. Should a major airline have contingency plans in place for emergency landing at every nation along or adjacent to their route? The A380 has a limited number of choices, so in that case its not an unworkable scheme.

Maybe SQ have, but this wasn't 'emergency' enough for them?

I wonder if airlines flying major routes couldn't band together and retain the services of an 'emergency' contact person at 'off the beaten track' places such as Baku and even places like Tehran who would 'spring into action' when one of the client planes makes a forced landing (or God forbid, worse) and activate the airline's emergency plan - be it mass hotel bookings / busses, or even showing up with comforting words?

I'm not sure how much time the SQ flight had before it touched down, but I'm guessing maybe an hour, but even something happening a couple of hours after touch down would be better than the 17 hours reports suggest (and I await a fuller story on the time it took for 'action' at the airport )

 

[Sprucegoose]

And if a Qantas 380 took off with a known leaking door seal and had to make an emergency landing there would be at least 50 comments here and media galore but as it's SQ it's allowed to go through to the keeper. A huge number of Australians travel on SQ.

Was that the case or speculation....?

 

[mel-world]

It seems that a lot of ICAO members have waiver to make life easier for flight crew:
"3.71 Contracting States shall waive the visa requirement for arriving crew members presenting CMCs, or for arriving crew members holding appropriate Operator-issued crew
member identification supported by advance electronic provision of satisfactory crew data or
appropriate notation of the General Declaration, when arriving in a duty status on an
international flight and seeking temporary entry for the period allowed by the receiving State
in order to join their next assigned flight in a duty status."
http://www.icao.int/Meetings/FALP/Documents/Falp5-2008/wp25_en.pdf

Thanks for the clarification. I thought there must be an arrangement in place.

 

[mel-world]

Just wondering. Should a major airline have contingency plans in place for emergency landing at every nation along or adjacent to their route?

There would be significant costs involved for this contingency with an impact on fares if this was mandated. A direct flight from the Eastcoast of Australia to the Middle East overflies Christmas Island, for instance and, I believe this is an emergency airport for these flights. There is a definite lack of (appropriate) accommodation on the island but I would rather land there and be inconvenienced in a real emergency.

A long 14+ hour flight might overfly a dozen or more emergency airports on the route.

 

[QF1]

Knowing SQ, I am sure they would have done something if they were represented at the airport.

Probably crisis management maybe an area SQ is not very good in handling.

 

[Melburnian1]

SQ's GYD A380 incident

Overall, despite a slow start, SQ's transparent response on its Facebook page has been quite good (although some are alleging that staff of the airline or overly patriotic Singaporeans are expressing online anger at tired passengers who question why they had to try to sleep on the airport floor in Baku, Azerbaijan for 17 or so hours):

https://www.facebook.com/singaporeair

The airline is at pains to point out that it sent staff from Istanbul and Moscow to assist, as it has never flown a regular public transport jet to this airport before.

Nonetheless, some passengers have been vocal asking why they were not accommodated in hotels given that a pilot and crew, plus a spare A380, had to be found (presumably in SIN) to deadhead to GYD so that the 450 plus passengers could be flown to SIN as the inoperable A380 had not been repaired or was unable to be quickly repaired.

Is this a new policy of SQ (i.e. to decline to provide overnight hotel accommodation when such incidents occur) or is it more a reflection of stringent visa requirements (and the lack of anyone on board who would have had such a pre-arranged visa for the country) and immigration officials who despite the additional income that might accrue to hotels, bus companies and food and beverage companies from 500 overnight visitors were unwilling to bend the rules for a one off incident, or who lacked discretion to do so and if asked, their superiors similarly declined?

Or could it be that it just was not possible to find 300 plus spare hotel rooms in this city at short notice in winter?