Four airplanes abort landing

Four airplanes abort landing

SEMARANG, Central Java: Four airplanes aborted landing at the A. Yani Airport during the past week because of bad weather, a local senior official said on Monday.

Chief of the provincial office of transportation, Gatot Soedjantoko, said that heavy rain had greatly reduced the pilots' visibility and had made the runway slippery.

"The four aircraft prohibited from landing in order to avoid accidents," Gatot told Antara. He said air traffic controllers have been ordered to refuse requests to land in cases of bad weather.

Three of the aircraft refused landing clearance belong to Mandala Airlines, while the fourth belongs to Merpati Nusantara Airlines.

Antara did not reveal where the four aircraft landed.

Late last year, a Merpati aircraft skidded off the runway and broke into three pieces. Three passengers were injured in the accident.(pan)