January 23, 2020, 08:46 AM
Flight operations at Changi Airport were disrupted just after midnight and restored at 1.40am on Thursday morning, Jan. 23, causing 50 departure flights to be delayed and nine arriving flights to be diverted.
The 100-minute disruption was the result of a fire alarm going off in the Changi Control Tower, which led to the tower being evacuated.
The fire alarm, which is called a fire suppression system, was activated even though there was no fire within the premises of the tower.
Details of the disruption were revealed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a statement.
The control tower resumed operations after 1.40am.
The disruption caused 50 departure flights to be delayed by 30 minutes or more.
Another nine arriving flights were diverted as a result.
Air traffic control services were provided from back-up positions, according to CAAS.
Investigations into the cause of the activation are ongoing.
No information on the ground
CNA and The Straits Times reported on the delays to passengers.
Some passengers affected by the disruption said they were delayed for about two hours, CNA reported.
ST reported that some flights were diverted to Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, while others went to Kuala Lumpur International airport.
Social media was the preferred outlet for some on the ground who were affected by the delays, as there were complaints that no information was disseminated about what was happening.
You heard it here first. The flight control at Changi Airport has been evacuated and our flight is now delayed with no ETA
— Prajit Nanu (@prajitn) January 22, 2020
https://twitter.com/itsoliverdave/status/1220039187539185665
#changi airport is frozen as air control tower evacuated - no takeoffs or landings? No jnformation
— Alain (@belozzie) January 22, 2020
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