Bylaw on kites in offing

TANGERANG: In response to complaints filed by 20 airline companies about the problems caused by kites, the municipal administration is set to issue a bylaw banning their flying around Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"We held a meeting this morning to discuss the right format for the new bylaw, which is intended to ensure passenger and aircraft safety," municipal administration secretary Wahidin Halim told the media on Wednesday.

Airline companies had filed complaints about the kite problem with PT Perum Angkasa Pura (PAP), which manages Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

According to Wahidin, over the past six months the number of local residents flying kites around the airport had increased. This was a cause worry for the airline companies.

"If a kite is sucked into the engine of an aircraft that is landing or taking off, it could endanger the aircraft and its passengers. Local residents, of course, know nothing about this," he said.

Therefore, the administration would soon begin a campaign highlighting the dangers caused by kites to aircraft while at the same time drafting the new bylaw.

He added that the new bylaw would ban local residents from flying kites, with the penalties for violators including jail terms.--JP