SINGAPORE, Aug 14 — A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight operating one of the world’s longest commercial routes was forced to abort its journey and return to Changi Airport shortly after take-off on Monday night.

Flight SQ22, a flagship direct service to Newark, New York, departed at 11.35pm on Aug 12 but was soon hampered by an unspecified technical issue, The Straits Times reported.

An SIA spokesperson confirmed the incident on Wednesday, noting that the Airbus A350-900 ultra-long-range aircraft touched back down in Singapore at 3.06am on Aug 13.

The route is a marathon of aviation, typically spanning over 18 hours and covering roughly 16,700km.

The technical fault required the aircraft to be towed to a remote parking bay for immediate repairs. This logistical hurdle meant all 133 customers and 17 crew members had to disembark on the tarmac. They were transported via buses back to the terminal to await a replacement aircraft.

“As the aircraft had to be towed to a remote parking bay for repairs, all 133 customers and 17 crew disembarked the aircraft and travelled to the airport terminal via buses to board the replacement aircraft,” the spokesperson said.

The delay was compounded by regulatory safety requirements. Because the original crew would have exceeded their legal flight time limits during the 18-hour trek, SIA had to mobilise a fresh team. While waiting for the new aircraft and crew to be readied, stranded passengers received food vouchers to use within the terminal.

The replacement flight eventually departed Singapore at 5.41am on Aug 13, reaching Newark at 12.15pm local time the same day. SIA officials stated that affected travellers were given regular updates and assistance with rebooking any missed connecting flights.

One passenger, sharing their experience on Reddit, remarked that the airline handled the ordeal “incredibly well,” though they noted a lack of transparency regarding the specific nature of the mechanical failure.

“It would have been nice to get a little bit more detail on why (the aircraft) had to be towed and why people couldn’t get their bags,” the user wrote.

In a formal apology, the carrier expressed regret for the inconvenience while stressing that operational decisions were guided by safety protocols.

“The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority,” the airline added.