News
SIA flight to Manchester diverted to London twice due to snow
The flight was also scheduled to continue to Houston, Texas, but it has been delayed.
January 06, 2025, 04:19 PM
A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight that departed from Changi Airport to Manchester, United Kingdom, was diverted to London’s Gatwick Airport due to snow-covered runways in Manchester.
When the flight later resumed its journey to Manchester, it reportedly had to turn back to London once again.
The runways at Manchester Airport were closed for 3.5 hours due to the weather, forcing several flights to reroute to other cities, including Paris, Dublin, and Glasgow.
Screenshot via flightradar24
SIA Flight SQ52
SIA flight SQ52 departed Changi Airport at 2:13am local time and was scheduled to arrive in Manchester at 9:25am (UK time) on Jan. 5.
However, according to SIA’s website, the flight was diverted to London, landing at Gatwick Airport at 9:48am.
Screenshot via SIA
The Manchester Evening News reported that the plane took off from Gatwick an hour later, but circled over the Peak District — a national park in central-northern England, for approximately 45 minutes before returning to London.
Despite these setbacks, the flight eventually continued to Manchester, landing at 7:11pm (UK time), according to SIA's website.
This was nearly 10 hours later than its originally scheduled arrival time.
The flight was also scheduled to continue to Houston, Texas, after a 1.5-hour layover in Manchester.
It is now scheduled to depart for Houston at 4pm (UK time) on Jan. 6.
In response to queries by Mothership, an SIA spokesperson said that flight SQ52, operating from Singapore to Houston (via Manchester) on Jan. 4, 2025, diverted to London Gatwick Airport due to adverse weather conditions in Manchester.
The spokesperson added that they are providing all necessary assistance to the affected passengers, including providing hotel accommodation and the rebooking of connecting flights.
"SIA sincerely apologises to all affected passengers for the inconvenience caused.
The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority."
Other flights affected
The snowy weather disrupted numerous flights, with many diverted or delayed until the runways were cleared.
Although the runways reopened on Jan. 5 following the initial closure, the airport faced another temporary closure on Jan. 6 between 6:30am and 7:15am due to continued snow and ice.
ℹ️ 06.01.25 | 6:30am
Information for passengers due to travel from @manairport. pic.twitter.com/IemMDAdH0W
— Manchester Airport (@manairport) January 6, 2025
Top photos from flightradar24 and Singapore Airlines/Facebook
