Pilot detects technical snag, averts takeoff of Chennai-Singapore Scoot flight

CHENNAI: A Scoot Airlines flight from Chennai to Singapore was cancelled after the pilot detected a technical snag while the aircraft was preparing for takeoff at Chennai International Airport in the early hours of Saturday (October 3).

The flight, which typically arrives in Chennai from Singapore at 10.50 pm and departs for Singapore at midnight, was scheduled to leave Chennai at 12 am on Saturday. A total of 322 people, including 310 passengers and 12 crew members, were on board.

All the passengers had boarded the aircraft and the doors had been closed when the pilot detected a technical snag as the aircraft began moving along the runway. The pilot immediately brought the aircraft to a stop and alerted the Chennai airport control room.

The aircraft was subsequently towed back to its departure point. Passengers were asked to disembark while a team of aircraft engineers inspected the plane and worked to rectify the technical snag.

The passengers were accommodated in the airport lounges while the repairs were being carried out. However, as the snag could not be rectified by 5 am, the flight was cancelled.

The passengers were later transported in buses to various hotels in Chennai for accommodation.

The airline has announced that the flight is expected to depart for Singapore tonight after the technical snag is rectified.

All 322 people on board, including 310 passengers, were safe.