On Mar. 13, 161 passengers leaving for Singapore were stranded at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok for hours as Jetstar flight 3K516 was delayed for more than 24 hours.

One of the passengers shared with Mothership that the flight was initially scheduled to take off at 1:35pm on Mar. 13, but they waited until 10pm at the airport before the flight was cancelled.

Delay due to technical issues

The passenger said their 1:35pm flight was delayed until 5:20pm, and the ground staff told them that the delay was due to "some technical issues."

However, at 5:20pm, the flight was still delayed. Passengers were apparently informed that they would have to wait for the captain to tell them if the flight was cancelled at 10pm.

The flight was eventually cancelled.

"The airport staff didn't give us any information, and almost everyone was panicking and approaching the staff for solutions," claimed the passenger as they recounted what happened during the delay.

The passenger described the ordeal as "just madness", pointing out that the airport staff was overwhelmed "with just too many things."

The passenger also said that while they appreciated that the airline provided them with accommodation and free meals, what they really wanted was to return to Singapore as soon as possible.

Technical fault identified during routine pre-departure inspection

In response to Mothership's queries, a spokesperson from Jetstar Asia said the flight was delayed for more than 24 hours due to a technical fault identified in a routine pre-departure inspection.

"All customers were moved to alternative Jetstar services and have arrived in Singapore," said the spokesperson on Mar. 15.

During the delay, passengers were offered accommodation, transportation and meal vouchers.

Passengers who no longer wished to fly with Jetstar were also given the option of a full refund.

"We sincerely apologise for the frustration and inconvenience caused by this delay. The safety of our customers is our first priority, and our team is working hard to get everyone to their destination as soon as possible."

Top photos via Unsplash