TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Transportation minister Budi Karya Sumadi, extended his personal instructions to air carriers to avoid flights to Wuhan, China, to prevent the spreading of the Coronavirus.

"We notified several flights not to fly to Wuhan, because there were several, there is Lion, and Sriwijaya,: Budi said on Friday, January 24, 2020.

Moreover, according to Budi, flights from and to the area have been empty since Thursday, January 23, 2020. The Minister added that the Transportation Ministry has temporarily closed all flights to the region.

"We have directly deliver [travel warning] to flight operators," Budi said.

The Directorate General of Air Transportation said that as a follow up to NOTAM G0108/20 issued by the International Notam Office Beijing, Indonesian air carriers' flights from and to Wuhan are temporarily suspended.

The policy was made to prevent the possibilities of the Coronavirus outbreak through flight routes.

Currently, there are two national air carriers that serves flight routes to Wuhan, namely Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air.

Director General of Air Transportation Polana B. Pramesti said that the Directorate General of Air Transportation will conduct anticipation of the spreading of the Coronavirus from flight routes.

"We have made intensive coordination with all Indonesian air carriers to anticipate the possibility of the spreading of the Coronavirus to Indonesia through flights," Polana said.

The notion was made through the issance of the Director General of Air Transportation Circular Letter No. SE.001/DKP/I/2020 dated January 20, 2020.

BISNIS.COM