Singapore’s Scoot cancels several flights in May over shortage of spare parts

Budget airline Scoot has cancelled several flights in May due to a “variety of operational reasons”.

The low-cost unit of Singapore Airlines said on Thursday it had scrapped some flights, with one of the reasons being an industry-wide shortage of aircraft parts.

“Several flights scheduled in May 2024 are cancelled due to a variety of operational reasons, including aircraft unavailability, because of a shortage of spare parts due to supply chain issues,” said Scoot.

The carrier did not provide CNA with the number of affected flights but apologised for the travel disruption.

“Scoot sincerely apologises to all affected customers for the inconvenience caused by this disruption,” it said.

“We proactively contacted all affected customers and most have been reaccommodated on alternative flights, including on Singapore Airlines and Scoot.”

For the passengers who were not reaccommodated, Scoot said it had offered them a full refund of the unused portion of their tickets.

Global demand for air travel has nearly recovered to pre-Covid pandemic levels – Changi Airport saw more passenger movements in February than the same period in 2019.

Air travel worldwide is expected to finally exceed pre-Covid levels this year, with a full recovery anticipated for the Asia-Pacific, according to observers.

However, the aviation industry is struggling with severe shortages of parts, labour and new aircraft.

The rebound of air travel has prompted airlines to order more planes, and aircraft manufacturing giants such as Airbus and Boeing are struggling to meet the demand.

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Speaking at the Singapore Airshow in February, Airbus Asia-Pacific’s president Anand Stanley told CNA about the backlog