Pekanbaru Airport not Closed Due to Smoke

Pekanbaru (Antara) - Sultan Syarif Kasim II Airport authorities stated that the airport is operational and is not closed, despite a number of airline companies suspending their flights due to smoke and forest fires in the Riau Province. "We're still serving, the airport is not closed," the airport's Acting General Manager Hasturman Jonah said here on Thursday. Previously, 16 airline members of the Airlines Operators Committee (AOC), Pekanbaru, decided to stop flying until March 15, due to the smoke conditions that were considered to be hazardous to flight as well as to prevent greater loss of business. Hasturman said the airport is still open because it is not only serving commercial flights, but also the military activities. The airport is located in one area of the Roesmin Nurjadi military airbase. "Currently, there is the Riau Smoke Emergency Response Task Force that continues to extinguish the forest fires using helicopters and Cassa aircraft," he said. Also, the PT Angkasa Pura II, which houses the airport, considered that the airport closure is irrelevant because the smoke conditions are subject to change depending on the wind direction. "The closure can only be done if there is interference to the transverse plane on the runway or damage to the navigational and other facilities," Hasturman said. (*)