Citilink Aircraft Removed from West Sumatra Airport Runway
3 August 2015 16:22 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - State Airport Operator Angkasa Pura II said on Monday, August 3, 2015, that they have removed a Citilink Airbus A320, which overshot the runway at Padang's Minangkabau Airport after it attempted to land on Sunday.
Citilink Indonesia's Executive Director, Albert Burhan, said through a written statement released in Jakarta on Monday, that the aircraft has been safely removed from the runway and is currently being inspected at the airport's hangar.
"As per 8.50am local time, the aircraft has been safely removed and secured in a safe location. Citilink's team of engineer had moved in to examine the aircraft, after it arrived at the location at 11.00am, local time," said Albert.
Furthermore, added Albert, Citilink's board of Directors as well as the National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) is scheduled to fly out to oversee the removal of the plane from the runway, as well as to visit the passengers of the flight - some of which are in a state of shock.
That said, Albert assured that Citilink's regular passenger services will remain operational as per normal - in spite of a few delays caused by the incident. All Citilink services to and from Padang will operate normally, although some inevitably had to be delayed due to the sticken aircraft's position on the runway," he said.
Citilink operates two flights between Padang and Jakarta daily, and three daily flights to and from Padang from Batam.
The low-cost carrier said that the main obstacle that hindered the evacuation of the aircraft from the runway is the fact that the aircraft's landing gears had been lodged and jammed on the muddy soil around the periphery of the runway.
"We had to wait for steel plates to be put in place so the aircraft could be towed away onto the runway and into the hangar," he said.
Citilink Indonesia flight QG970 from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to Padang's Minangkabau Airport overshot the runway where it attempted to land at 7.27pm, local time.
The Airbus A320 was carrying 178 passengers - including 3 babies six cabin crews - when it overshot the runway, of which none sustained serious injuries.
ANTARA
