SINGAPORE: The Singapore Flyer will resume operations on Friday (Apr 15) after receiving approval from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the attraction’s operator said on Thursday.
The attraction suspended flight operations in January as a “precautionary measure” after a “technical issue” was found during a routine maintenance inspection.
“The safety of our guests is always our utmost priority. Singapore Flyer is resuming its flights after all safety checks and tests were completed and cleared by BCA,” the operator said in a statement.
Inspections and tests carried out under the supervision of an appointed specialist professional engineer had revealed “some technical issues” affecting a small section of the outer layer of a spoke cable, a Singapore Flyer spokesperson told CNA.
Spoke cables support the outside rim of a giant observation wheel by holding it in compression.
“Safety is Singapore Flyer’s first and utmost priority – we assure all our guests and partners that rigorous tests have been conducted to ensure that the Singapore Flyer is safe for everyone to enjoy,” said the spokesperson.
Operations were resumed only after the inspection and tests were carried out to ensure the structural integrity of the observation wheel, the spokesperson added.
“On top of that, we perform routine maintenance and inspections daily before commencing flight operations.”
This is at least the second time the Singapore Flyer has been affected by an issue with the ride’s spoke cables. Operations were suspended for four months in November 2019 over a similar problem.
Guests with existing bookings for visits to the Singapore Flyer before Apr 15 can rebook their visiting date from www.singaporeflyer.com. The attraction is also working closely with its authorised booking parters to reach out to ticket holders affected by the suspension.
The two attractions – the Singapore Flyer and the Time Capsule – will open from Thursday to Sunday, as well as on public holidays, from 3pm to 10pm.