Thick Smokes Disrupt Flight Schedule

Jambi - Thick smokes from forest and bush fires in Jambi have disrupted flight schedule, airport authorities in the Jambi said. Attempts have failed to put out the fires after 11 days with artificially made rain, Alzog, the Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin airport operation manager said here on Monday. An airline has to delay flight to Jambi on Sunday because of the smokes over the airport, he said "One can see only as far as 1,000 meter ahead over the Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin airport as against a safe distance of 2,000 meters" he said. "An aircraft expected to land on airport this morning has to return back to Jakarta," he said. If the condition remains unchanged more aircraft might delay flights to Jambi, he said. The meteorology office said the smokes came more from bush fires set by irresponsible farmers or plantation companies. (*)