Medan-Pekanbaru Flights Delayed Due Smoke

Medan, N Sumatra (Antara) - The flights from the Kualanamu Airport in North Sumatra province to the Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport in Riau province were delayed on Monday due to smoke. "The airlines that delayed their flights to Riau on Monday morning were Garuda and Air Asia," Kualanamu Airport Deputy Manager Djamal Amri stated here on Monday. The delay in flights to Pekanbaru was chiefly caused by smoke reported in Riau rather than North Sumatra, he remarked. He noted that on Monday morning, the visibility at the Kualanamu Airport was reduced to just one thousand meters. "The visibility at Kualanamu has reduced to 800 meters, which is still considered safe. But ultimately, it all depends on the pilots," he claimed. The smoke also forced Susi Air to delay its flights from the Kualanamu Airport to Meulaboh and Sibolga. The international flights operating from Singapore and Malaysia to Pekanbaru were also delayed on Monday due to smoke at the Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport, stated the airport authorities. "The airport commenced flight operations at 5 a.m. local time. International arrivals from Singapore and Malaysia were delayed as visibility was reduced to only 500 meters," noted Duty Manager of Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport Baiquni. Baiquni added that the smoke hindered visibility from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. local time. The condition forced some of the airlines to delay their flights. Baiquni pointed out that Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Tigerair Mandala, and Citilink have delayed their international flights. In addition to international flights, some domestic flights were also delayed, especially in the Batam-Pekanbaru, Bandung-Pekanbaru, Medan-Pekanbaru, and Jakarta-Pekanbaru routes. According to Baiquni, 12 arrivals were delayed due to the thick smoke. (*)