A Singapore Airlines flight bound for Singapore returned to San Francisco nearly nine hours after take-off on Oct. 14 after an unruly passenger injured himself on board.
The airline said on Oct. 15 that the passenger aboard flight SQ31 was handed over to local authorities after the aircraft landed at San Francisco International Airport, The Straits Times reported.
The 15-hour flight departed San Francisco on Oct. 14 and was originally scheduled to arrive in Singapore at around 7 p.m. on Oct. 15, according to Changi Airport’s live flight tracking website.
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Singapore Airlines planes sit on the tarmac at Changi Airport in Singapore Nov. 16, 2021. Photo by Reuters |
However, the aircraft landed back in San Francisco nearly nine hours after take-off, The Business Times reported.
“The pilots assessed the situation and decided to return to San Francisco,” the airline’s spokesperson said, without disclosing further details about the passenger’s actions.
The airline said it was working closely with the relevant authorities to address the incident.
The flight subsequently departed San Francisco again at around 11:20 p.m. local time, with a replacement crew, according to the airline.
The carrier apologized to passengers for the disruption and said it was providing necessary assistance, including rebooking connecting flights.
Singapore Airlines was voted the world’s best carrier in Skytrax’s 2026 survey of more than 24 million travelers.