The last two flights from Athens to Singapore had to fly without their passengers’ baggage after the heatwave engulfing Greece affected the performance of the aircraft. Another Scoot flight from Athens to Singapore had to refuel in Amritsar, India, as although usually a direct non-stop route, the plane began the journey with less fuel to accommodate baggage. https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/passengers-athens-singapore-flights-frustrated-planes-forced-take-without-luggage-due
In response to queries, the disruptions of the budget airline were attributed to the ‘extreme weather conditions’ that have been afflicting the Greek capital, with temperatures exceeding 40 deg C. Higher temperatures reduce the performance of the engines of an aircraft and their ability to generate the lift required for takeoff, making it harder for planes to take off in extreme heat.
In other parts of the USA and Europe that are experiencing extreme heatwaves, several airlines also had to shed passengers or baggage and reduce fuel loads to reduce the weight of their planes for takeoff. According to Bloomberg, earlier this month, several Delta Air Lines passengers had voluntarily got off a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta owing to aircraft weight issues due to the heat-related delays.
A spokesman for Scoot said owing to ‘operational considerations’ the baggage on board certain flights from Athens to Singapore had to be left behind, but that Scoot had since reached out to affected customers to make arrangements for their baggage to be sent to their hotels or homes.
When asked by the Straits Times, the airline did not specify whether future flights would be impacted and did not specify how many flights were affected from Athens by the ongoing heatwave. It only said it would continue to monitor weather conditions in Greece and adjust operations as needed.
Scoot, which flies from Athens to Singapore 4 times a week using Boeing 787 Dreamliners, is Singapore Airlines (SIA) budget arm. The airline sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience caused. Its spokesman added that the safety of its passengers and crew was their top priority and that it would continue to provide its customers with the necessary assistance.
A spokesman for Athens International Airport, when asked, said it was unable to disclose the number of airlines taking off from Athens facing performance issues owing to the heatwave. He added that any baggage stranded at the airport was handled directly by the individual airline and its assigned ground handler. Passengers on board the affected flights expressed frustration regarding the lack of updates from Scoot and its Singapore ground handler, Sats.
One passenger who said he flew from Athens on Saturday said his flight was delayed by 2 hours and the passengers had not been told that their checked luggage had been removed from the plane prior to take-off. Four days later, he said there was still no update on where his baggage was.
Another passenger, an Australian national in her early 50s who declined to be named, and flew on 20th July from Athens to Singapore told ST that she had no idea that her checked bags were taken off the plane prior to departure. She said she was returning to Singapore after a holiday in Greece with her husband and daughter, and the flight was delayed by nearly 2 hours. She added that she and her husband were near the cockpit and could see some terse discussions going on, and in hindsight, they realized it may have been because the plane was overloaded, but no one had said anything about this.
She told ST that while three of her family’s four checked bags did not arrive with them in Singapore, others faced the same issue on the same flight. She was reunited with her luggage only on Monday, 4 days later although she was informed that her bags would be on the next flight to Singapore,. She said that although she appreciated the chaos on the ground, the response from the Scoot and Sats call centres was terrible. Shat she had phoned Sats about 30 times and Scoot about 4 or 5 times, and that they had no idea what was going on.
Singapore Airlines which operates flights from European cities to Singapore said that its services had not been impacted by the heatwave, and would continue to operate as scheduled. They added that the situation was being closely monitored, and that the carrier would make appropriate adjustments to their flight routes where necessary.
