Passengers Laud Singapore Airlines for Effective Handling of Overnight Delay due to NAIA Runway Closure

The recent Manila runway closure last August 17 had caused numerous flight delays which lasted, in some cases, up to several days.

While no one was seriously injured during the incident, the potential risk and damages to the many passengers’ business and employment activities have hounded social media non-stop sending strong criticisms on how airport officials and even the national government has handled the situation all throughout.

But amid all the confusion and ire building up as the situation escalated, there was a slight glimmer of hope that had reached all the way back to Singapore. In his Facebook post, user Marvin Tomandao, shared their experience on how Singapore Airlines handles flight delays of this nature and scope.

Here’s how Singapore Airlines Handled the Flight Delays due to Manila Runway Closure

 

Marvin was just one of the hundreds and thousands of stranded passengers affected by the incident last August 17.

He and his niece were on an SQ918 flight bound for Manila when the incident occurred.

Here is Marvin’s story as posted on Facebook:

And while it’s fortunate that no one got injured during the incident, there are certainly more things which could have been done to manage the situation properly. As for Marvin’s experience amid the chaos at the airport, here are some highlights of what the SQ staff of Singapore Airlines did to manage the crisis situation:

  1. Singapore Airlines Manager Haziq Sulaiman would go on to the mic as often as he had clear updates to share with the passengers regarding their flight and the situation at the runway in Manila. The manager would also apologize at the beginning of every announcement, as if the burden of the situation was his own.
  2. Following the first announcement of the delay in flight, SQ distributed unlimited sandwiches, muffins, and drinks to keep all passengers well-attended to.
  3. Shortly after the first announcement was made, everyone was asked to line up in a queue to receive individual instruction regarding the overnight accommodation from plane officials.
  4. The airlines made sure that even with the unexpected delay in flight, all passengers would have a comfortable and stress-free experience by giving them five-star hotel room accommodation, dinner buffet, and a limo cab service to and from their hotel.
  5. Three SQ managers were readily available at the hotel lobby early in the morning to assist all passengers to a swift checkout and transit via cabs to the airport.
  6. On arrival at the airport, special lanes were designated for passengers affected by the cancelled Manila flights to speed up the boarding process.
  7. As passengers were about to board, unlimited sandwiches, muffins, and drinks were available again at the gate.
  8. When an announcement was made about another hour and a half delay, all passengers were given a $15 SG voucher breakfast at specifically-appointed restaurants.
  9. Before the flight, all affected passengers were provided with a flight delay survey to help the airline assess how they handled the matter.
  10. For the final time, before the flight was cleared to fly, several SQ managers lined up and apologized as they send off all passengers on their way.

They say all experience comes with a lesson. Let this incident be an eye-opener on how we can all contribute to the solution and to better the process for everyone’s benefit should a similar event happen again in the future.