SINGAPORE: As the plane descended, Singapore Airlines (SIA) senior cabin crew Gan Bee Bee heard a familiar announcement from a colleague: “To all Singaporeans and residents of Singapore, a warm welcome home”.
It is a phrase the in-flight manager has heard many times over her 25-year career with the airline. But when recounting it to CNA on Friday (Apr 17), Ms Gan teared up.
She was among the crew on board SIA’s repatriation flight on Mar 7, which brought 152 Singaporeans and their dependents home from Muscat, Oman, amid the outbreak of the Middle East war, with emotions running high throughout the journey.
“The announcement was made by my lead stewardess, who was seated beside me, and she said, ‘I don’t know whether I can say it properly without tearing’, so I said, ‘You know what? You are representing us, you are representing Singaporeans, and we are really back home.”
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After landing and finally getting some rest, Ms Gan came across social media posts showing passengers reuniting with loved ones at Changi Airport. It was then that the significance of the mission fully sank in.
“I think, for our flight … it is really home for them, because the 152 (passengers) were all Singaporeans,” she said.
Dozens of SIA staff and crew, including Ms Gan, were involved in operating SQ8001, the first of two repatriation flights launched by the national carrier and organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that evacuated Singaporeans and some foreigners from the conflict zone.
At the helm of the flight was chief pilot Leonard Wee. The veteran pilot, with more than 20 years of experience, said that when he put out a call for volunteers, the response was overwhelming.
“We understand the importance of bringing our fellow Singaporeans home. We understand how they feel. We could empathise, because they have been in that region for some time, and I think we found that there was purpose in what we needed to do,” said Captain Wee.
While assembling the flight's crew was straightforward, seeking his 13-year-old daughter’s blessing proved more difficult.
“She was somewhat emotional, she was somewhat concerned, but I reassured her that we've done all the preparation,” said Capt Wee.
“I shared with her that whatever you're feeling, there's someone else, some other family, some other person's daughter in Singapore, feeling exactly like you, and I am in the fortunate position to try to help that person - so we are going to do this,” he added.
(From left): Captain Leonard Wee and in-flight manager Gan Bee Bee at the SIA Training Centre on Apr 17, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Liew Zhi Xin)
Ms Gan said the flight proceeded smoothly and without incident, but the atmosphere on board was markedly different.
During take-off, she noticed some passengers were tearful.
“Some were looking out of the window, it looked like they have deep thoughts,” she said.
Ahead of the flight, she had instructed her crew to avoid discussing “sensitive topics” and to be mindful of passengers’ emotions.
“I told my crew, let's manage them in a different way. We will not talk about it. Let them enjoy the food, if they need to rest, let them rest,” Ms Gan said.
She also coordinated with Capt Wee to inform the crew once the aircraft had exited Middle Eastern airspace, so passengers could be reassured.
“(We told them) you are out of there, you are safe.”
After meals were served, many passengers fell into a deep sleep.
“They haven't had a good rest for the longest time, and although it was just a nap of about two hours, it was the most peaceful sleep that they actually had,” she said.
When the plane landed, Ms Gan witnessed an emotional reunion between a passenger and his daughter, whom she later spoke with.
“She said, ‘I just want to thank you for bringing my dad home’,” she said. “I was touched.”
Passengers on a repatriation flight from Oman reunited with their family members at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Mar 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
While the journey itself was uneventful, it was underpinned by extensive planning on the ground.
Capt Wee said his team had prepared for a myriad of scenarios.
“We were going into an airport that was close to where hostilities were happening. So there was a lot of backend planning,” he said. “We really went down and we made contingencies above contingencies as well, to make sure that our flight would be safe and will be secure.”
One key challenge was that SIA does not operate at Muscat International Airport and has no handling agents there.
Handling agents are specialised service providers at airports that manage aircraft, passenger and cargo operations while a plane is on the ground between flights.
As a result, SIA personnel were deployed to Muscat to support and lead ground operations.
Given the uncertainty, contingency plans were also made to divert or refuel elsewhere if needed.
“So we actually positioned crew and resources to be able to take over the flight, in case we couldn't make the trip all the way back home in a single leg,” he said.
Coordinating the effort from Singapore was acting manager of airport operations Colin Aw.
“The most difficult part is that we're operating in an environment whereby we don't know the ground conditions, we don't know what Muscat Airport’s infrastructure is like,” he said.
Despite the unknowns, he had “one very clear objective” - ensuring passengers could board and depart safely.
“We have to make sure that check-in is accurate, loading is on time, cleaning is done, and everything falls in line, so that the flight can depart eventually,” he said.
Like those on board, Mr Aw only felt relief once the aircraft had exited Middle Eastern airspace.
When asked whether ground roles like his are often overlooked, he disagreed.
“Everybody has a role to play here. I don't think anybody is under-appreciated in this mission,” he said. “Everybody does what we need to do to make sure the mission is a success.”
Mr Colin Aw, acting manager for airport operations, was part of the Singapore Airlines ground operation team that was heavily involved in coordination efforts between Singapore and Muscat, Oman. (Photo: CNA/Liew Zhi Xin)
As to whether he would do it again, Capt Wee said he would not hesitate.
“We understand the purpose of what we do, and I'm sure my fellow colleagues will also be willing and able to do it as well,” he said.
“When we fly back to Singapore and when we come back home, we see our passengers, when they see their loved ones, we see the happiness in their faces, I think, over the years, this has cemented our love for the job.”
For Ms Gan, her initial reaction upon being assigned to the flight was uncertainty.
But when her husband asked if she was sure she wanted to go, she thought about the families waiting back home.
She told her husband: “I think of the loved ones that are going to wait for (my passengers), just like how you are going to wait for me later.”
She did not even tell her parents about the assignment beforehand, not wanting to worry them.
Asked if she would do it again, Ms Gan said she would.
“Maybe the feeling is not just because I represent SIA,” she said. “It is the feeling of being safe … the hope that somebody can bring you back home safely.”
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It is a phrase the in-flight manager has heard many times over her 25-year career with the airline. But when recounting it to CNA on Friday (Apr 17), Ms Gan teared up.
She was among the crew on board SIA’s repatriation flight on Mar 7, which brought 152 Singaporeans and their dependents home from Muscat, Oman, amid the outbreak of the Middle East war, with emotions running high throughout the journey.
“The announcement was made by my lead stewardess, who was seated beside me, and she said, ‘I don’t know whether I can say it properly without tearing’, so I said, ‘You know what? You are representing us, you are representing Singaporeans, and we are really back home.”
CNA Games
Show More Show Less
After landing and finally getting some rest, Ms Gan came across social media posts showing passengers reuniting with loved ones at Changi Airport. It was then that the significance of the mission fully sank in.
“I think, for our flight … it is really home for them, because the 152 (passengers) were all Singaporeans,” she said.
Dozens of SIA staff and crew, including Ms Gan, were involved in operating SQ8001, the first of two repatriation flights launched by the national carrier and organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that evacuated Singaporeans and some foreigners from the conflict zone.
At the helm of the flight was chief pilot Leonard Wee. The veteran pilot, with more than 20 years of experience, said that when he put out a call for volunteers, the response was overwhelming.
“We understand the importance of bringing our fellow Singaporeans home. We understand how they feel. We could empathise, because they have been in that region for some time, and I think we found that there was purpose in what we needed to do,” said Captain Wee.
While assembling the flight's crew was straightforward, seeking his 13-year-old daughter’s blessing proved more difficult.
“She was somewhat emotional, she was somewhat concerned, but I reassured her that we've done all the preparation,” said Capt Wee.
“I shared with her that whatever you're feeling, there's someone else, some other family, some other person's daughter in Singapore, feeling exactly like you, and I am in the fortunate position to try to help that person - so we are going to do this,” he added.
(From left): Captain Leonard Wee and in-flight manager Gan Bee Bee at the SIA Training Centre on Apr 17, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Liew Zhi Xin)
WHAT THE FLIGHT WAS LIKE
Ms Gan said the flight proceeded smoothly and without incident, but the atmosphere on board was markedly different.
During take-off, she noticed some passengers were tearful.
“Some were looking out of the window, it looked like they have deep thoughts,” she said.
Ahead of the flight, she had instructed her crew to avoid discussing “sensitive topics” and to be mindful of passengers’ emotions.
“I told my crew, let's manage them in a different way. We will not talk about it. Let them enjoy the food, if they need to rest, let them rest,” Ms Gan said.
She also coordinated with Capt Wee to inform the crew once the aircraft had exited Middle Eastern airspace, so passengers could be reassured.
“(We told them) you are out of there, you are safe.”
After meals were served, many passengers fell into a deep sleep.
“They haven't had a good rest for the longest time, and although it was just a nap of about two hours, it was the most peaceful sleep that they actually had,” she said.
When the plane landed, Ms Gan witnessed an emotional reunion between a passenger and his daughter, whom she later spoke with.
“She said, ‘I just want to thank you for bringing my dad home’,” she said. “I was touched.”
Passengers on a repatriation flight from Oman reunited with their family members at Changi Airport Terminal 3 on Mar 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
"CONTINGENCIES ABOVE CONTINGENCIES"
While the journey itself was uneventful, it was underpinned by extensive planning on the ground.
Capt Wee said his team had prepared for a myriad of scenarios.
“We were going into an airport that was close to where hostilities were happening. So there was a lot of backend planning,” he said. “We really went down and we made contingencies above contingencies as well, to make sure that our flight would be safe and will be secure.”
One key challenge was that SIA does not operate at Muscat International Airport and has no handling agents there.
Handling agents are specialised service providers at airports that manage aircraft, passenger and cargo operations while a plane is on the ground between flights.
As a result, SIA personnel were deployed to Muscat to support and lead ground operations.
Given the uncertainty, contingency plans were also made to divert or refuel elsewhere if needed.
“So we actually positioned crew and resources to be able to take over the flight, in case we couldn't make the trip all the way back home in a single leg,” he said.
Coordinating the effort from Singapore was acting manager of airport operations Colin Aw.
“The most difficult part is that we're operating in an environment whereby we don't know the ground conditions, we don't know what Muscat Airport’s infrastructure is like,” he said.
Despite the unknowns, he had “one very clear objective” - ensuring passengers could board and depart safely.
“We have to make sure that check-in is accurate, loading is on time, cleaning is done, and everything falls in line, so that the flight can depart eventually,” he said.
Like those on board, Mr Aw only felt relief once the aircraft had exited Middle Eastern airspace.
When asked whether ground roles like his are often overlooked, he disagreed.
“Everybody has a role to play here. I don't think anybody is under-appreciated in this mission,” he said. “Everybody does what we need to do to make sure the mission is a success.”
Mr Colin Aw, acting manager for airport operations, was part of the Singapore Airlines ground operation team that was heavily involved in coordination efforts between Singapore and Muscat, Oman. (Photo: CNA/Liew Zhi Xin)
WOULD THEY DO IT AGAIN?
As to whether he would do it again, Capt Wee said he would not hesitate.
“We understand the purpose of what we do, and I'm sure my fellow colleagues will also be willing and able to do it as well,” he said.
“When we fly back to Singapore and when we come back home, we see our passengers, when they see their loved ones, we see the happiness in their faces, I think, over the years, this has cemented our love for the job.”
For Ms Gan, her initial reaction upon being assigned to the flight was uncertainty.
But when her husband asked if she was sure she wanted to go, she thought about the families waiting back home.
She told her husband: “I think of the loved ones that are going to wait for (my passengers), just like how you are going to wait for me later.”
She did not even tell her parents about the assignment beforehand, not wanting to worry them.
Asked if she would do it again, Ms Gan said she would.
“Maybe the feeling is not just because I represent SIA,” she said. “It is the feeling of being safe … the hope that somebody can bring you back home safely.”
Continue reading...