380 SIA passengers stuck in New York, Istanbul for two days after flights to Singapore get delayed
Sherlyn Sim and Rhea Yasmine
The Straits Times
Dec 16, 2025
Some 380 passengers aboard two Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights to Singapore – one from New York and another from Istanbul – experienced two-day delays due to bad weather and technical issues, and were left stuck in the two cities.
Flight SQ21 was scheduled to depart from New York on Dec 14, but it was delayed twice to Dec 16. Meanwhile, Flight SQ391 was scheduled to depart Istanbul on Dec 12, but that was delayed to Dec 14.
In a media reply on Dec 16, the national carrier said Flight SQ21 was scheduled to depart from Newark Liberty International Airport in New York for Singapore on Dec 14 at 9.35am local time (10.35pm Singapore time).
However, the flight was delayed because of adverse weather conditions and a temporary runway closure for runway de-icing.
According to News 12 in New Jersey, there were almost 500 delays and more than 200 cancellations in flights at the airport on Dec 14 after the first significant snowfall of the season.
SIA said all 151 passengers disembarked the aircraft and were given assistance, including meal vouchers and overnight hotel accommodation.
The flight was later renumbered to Flight SQ9021, and rescheduled to depart from Newark on Dec 15 at 12.35pm local time.
SIA said the flight was delayed a second time because of an airport baggage handling system fault and a technical issue with the Airbus A350-900 ultra-long-range aircraft's nose wheel.
"Due to the need for a spare part and additional time and support for repairs, a decision was made to delay the flight further," SIA said, apologising for the delay.
The airline said that it provided affected passengers with additional meal vouchers and overnight hotel accommodation. It also helped to rebook the affected customers on alternative flights where possible.
Flight SQ9021 is scheduled to depart from Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec 16 at 9.35am local time and arrive in Singapore on Dec 17 at about 4.40pm.
An affected passenger, Mr Avinash Reddy, said he has been frustrated with the situation and what he described as a lack of updates from the airline.
He said that after the first delay, the airline staff asked passengers to board a bus to a hotel.
"The bus to the hotel broke down, and when we were at the hotel, there were no rooms or food available. At 5pm, we had some vouchers to order a pizza for dinner," he said.
Mr Reddy added that during the second delay of the flight, the airline staff discovered two damaged tyres on the plane before take-off.
He added that airline staff said they had only one tyre in storage and the other tyre had to be transported from John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Passengers remained on the plane on the tarmac for three hours before being asked to disembark, said Mr Reddy.
"Once we got off the plane, we had no information," he added.
In response to another media query, SIA said Flight SQ391 was scheduled to fly from Istanbul to Singapore on Dec 12 at 1.15pm local time (6.15pm Singapore time).
However, the long-haul aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, returned to the bay shortly before take-off due to a technical issue with the aircraft flaps.
All 229 passengers, who were given food and beverages, had remained on board as on-site engineers tried to rectify the technical issue. This would have allowed departure to be quicker if the issue could be resolved, said SIA.
However, a decision was made to delay the flight due to the need for a spare part, and more time and support for repairs, it added.
SIA said it gave affected customers regular updates and the necessary assistance, including meal vouchers and overnight hotel accommodation. It also rebooked the affected customers' connecting flights in Singapore.
SQ391 was renumbered to SQ9391, and departed Istanbul on Dec 14 at 3am local time. The flight arrived in Singapore the same day at 7.14pm.
