Wildfire Hampers 54 Lion Air Flights

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The haze caused by wildfires in Kalimantan and Sumatra on Friday, September 14, has disrupted 54 flights of Lion Air Group, including 33 delays, 1 postponed flight, and 20 canceled flights.

The airliner's corporate communications strategy, Danang Mandala Prihantoro, said the whole operation was carried out based on standard procedure. In ensuring the safety and security, Lion Air Group decided to cancel, postpone, and delay flights in several cities or regions.

"The decision was made because of the below minimum visibility caused by the smoke. This affected the aircraft rotation for the next route," Danang said.

The company has informed all of its passengers who are affected by the situation and continues to coordinate with related agencies to obtain an updated situation. They also facilitate the passengers for a refund or reschedule based on the applicable rules.

Danang explained that his office will operate normally once the visibility is declared to be safe for flight. Lion Air Group stated it will minimize the effects in order to not bother other operational.

Airliners affected by the haze include Wings Air (38 flights), Lion Air (14 flights), and Batik Air (2 flights).

Previously, General Manager at Syamsudin Noor Airport said that the visibility at South Kalimantan's Banjarbaru Airport was only 50 meter which hampered the flights from and to Banjarmasin.

"Today's flight postpone was quite a lot since the visibility was only 50 meter," he said Saturday, September 14.

BISNIS | ANTARA