TEMPO.CO, Jakarta- Head of General Affairs Hang Nadim International Airport Batam Suwarso said, Thursday, September 3, 2015, that five flights from Hang Nadim Airport to a number of destinations in Sumatra affected from haze of originating from Pekanbaru, Jambi and Palembang.
Of that number, two flights were canceled, mainly to Jambi and Palembang. The rest is postponed. "Certainty of departure is unknown," he told Tempo at Hang Nadim Airport.
Due to the departure delays, the A5 and A6 waiting rooms were full of passengers who can not be dispatched. Suwarso said passengers can get refunds for their tickets from flight operators.
Suwarso explained, in the past week, 35 flights to and from Hang Nadim Airport to airports in Sumatra, Jambi and Pekanbaru in particular, were canceled. The estimated the airport lost an estimated Rp4 million per day.
But the flight from Hang Nadim Airport to a number of airports in Java and other airports other than in Sumatra are still running normally. Thickness of the haze at Hang Nadim Airport had not disrupt flights.
In Jambi, visibility was only 700 meters and very dangerous for pilots.
"It depends on the pilot. If they assessed able to land, they will land [the plane], because the decision is up to the pilot." Airport will inform about weather forecasts and visibility.
Pilgrimage flights to the Holy Land from Hang Nadim Airport went smoothly and so far 10 flight groups have departed.
Hang Nadim Airport serves 124 flights taking-off and landing according to the flight schedule, operated by eight operators, namely Lion Air, Garuda Indonesia, Citilink, Batik, Malindo, and Srivijaya, with an average of 150 passengers per flight.
RUMBADI DALLE