TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Another transfer mishap has caused concern after an Denpasar-bound AirAsia flight QZ509 from Singapore told their passengers to disembark at Ngurah Rai International Airport's Domestic Terminal in Bali, stated the Corporate Secretary for PT Angkasa Pura II, Farid Indra Nugraha stated through a press release received by Antara in Jakarta, on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
On May 16, 2016, AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ509, which was carrying 155 passengers from Singapore to Denpasar landed at Ngurah Rai International Airport at 23.54 local time. "The aircraft was parked at Bay 04," said Nugraha.
At the same time, two other flights - Indonesia AirAsiaX flight XT555 from Kuala Lumpur, and AirAsia Indonesia flight QZ537 from Perth - landed and was parked at By 33 and 10b respectively. To transfer the passengers, AirAsia Indonesia prepared three buses to transfer the passengers of flight QZ509 to the International Terminal - but there was a miscommunication between the bus driver and the flight controller, which ultimately led to the transfer of 47 international passengers to the domestic terminal, said Nugraha.
AirAsia Indonesia ground crew at the domestic terminal received a notice from Ngurah Rai's Aviation Security personnel, that a bus has mistakenly transferred international passengers to the domestic arrival hall. "After which, the AirAsia Indonesia's ground staff - along with the Aviation Security personnel immediately directed the passengers to board the bus once more, to be transferred to the international terminal," said Nugraha.
Investigation relating to the incident - which involves Angkasa Pura I officials, Aviation Security personnel, airport authorities, Airnav Indonesia, and both Immigration and Customs personnels - have started on Tuesday morning, May 17, 2016.
Nugraha said that based on CCTV surveillance, out of the 47 passengers that were told to re-board the bus to be transferred to the immigration checkpoint at Terminal II, one passengers did not follow suit. "The passenger in question is a New Zealand national, who is a holder of a multiple entry visa to enter Indonesia," he said.
ANTARA