Singapore Flyer to remain suspended due to 'unexpected incident'

Reuters file photo
Reuters file photo

All flight operations on the Singapore Flyer will remain suspended due to an “unexpected incident” last Thursday morning (January 25), said the owner of the iconic attraction.

“As safety is our top priority, we are committed to working together with the relevant authority and specialist professional engineer to investigate the cause of the technical fault. We ask for patience as we rectify the issues,” Straco Leisure added in a media statement on Monday (29 January).

Sixty-one passengers on board the Flyer were brought down to safety after it experienced a “technical issue” last Thursday.

Flight operations will resume once investigations are complete and when the go-ahead is given by the relevant authority.

“We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to guests and partners of Singapore Flyer,” the statement said.

Affected customers with prior flight bookings have been asked to contact the customer service team at +65 6333 3311 for assistance.

The suspension is the first such incident under Straco Leisure, which took over ownership of the Flyer in November 2014.

It, however, was not the first glitch for the attraction, which started operating in February 2008 under previous owner Singapore Flyer.

On 4 December 2008, about 70 passengers were left stranded for almost five hours on the ride due to bad weather.

Later in the same month, 173 passengers were trapped at the attraction for about six hours when a small electrical fire broke out in the wheel control room, leading to a shutdown lasting slightly over a month.

On 18 July 2010, some 200 passengers were evacuated after lightning struck one of the Flyer’s electrical cables that supplied power to the air-conditioning systems. The attraction was re-opened after two days.

According to its Facebook page, the 165-metres tall Flyer is the largest giant observation wheel in Asia.

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61 passengers on Singapore Flyer brought to safety following ‘technical issue’