Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore was delayed by nearly six hours on June 21 after the aircraft operating an earlier sector suffered a tyre-related incident upon arrival in Malaysia, marking the second such occurrence involving the same route this month.
According to Singapore Airlines, two tyres on a Boeing 737-8 operating Flight SQ114 from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur deflated after landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on June 21.
The incident occurred after the aircraft had completed its arrival into Kuala Lumpur. There were no reports of injuries.
Because the aircraft could not continue normal operations, it was towed to a remote parking bay. All 152 passengers and eight crew members onboard SQ114 disembarked via buses and were transported to the terminal.
The affected aircraft had been scheduled to operate the return service, Flight SQ113, from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore later the same day. However, the tyre damage rendered the aircraft unavailable, forcing Singapore Airlines to dispatch a replacement aircraft from Singapore.
As a result, SQ113, carrying 143 passengers and eight crew members, departed Kuala Lumpur at 8:27 p.m. local time instead of its scheduled 2:35 p.m. departure. The flight subsequently arrived in Singapore at 9:38 p.m.
Passengers received multiple delay notifications throughout the afternoon. According to reports, the airline initially advised travelers that the departure had been postponed until 4:35 p.m. due to technical issues affecting the incoming aircraft. The flight was later delayed again, with Singapore Airlines citing adverse weather conditions in Singapore for the final postponement.
Affected passengers were provided with refreshments, snack packs, meal vouchers and assistance with onward travel arrangements, including rebooking of connecting flights where necessary.
Singapore Airlines apologized for the disruption, stating that passenger and crew safety remains its highest priority. The airline also confirmed that the damaged tyres had been replaced and that the aircraft would return to service after the necessary maintenance actions.
The June 21 occurrence follows another tyre-related incident involving the same Singapore-Kuala Lumpur service on June 13.
On that occasion, Flight SQ114, also operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, experienced a double tyre burst during landing at KLIA at approximately 1:27 p.m. local time.
The aircraft became disabled on the runway, prompting airport authorities to temporarily close one of KLIA’s three runways. The affected runway remained unavailable for about six hours while emergency crews and maintenance personnel worked to clear the aircraft and inspect the pavement.
Malaysia Airports later confirmed that flight operations resumed after aviation authorities completed safety checks and granted clearance for reopening. Investigations and technical assessments are expected to determine whether the tyre failures resulted from operational factors, runway conditions, foreign object debris, maintenance issues, manufacturing defects or other causes.
