MAS cancels flights

MAS cancels flights

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yesterday canceled three flights to the northeast resort island of Langkawi amid poor visibility due to thick haze caused by fires in neighboring Indonesia.

A spokesman of the national carrier said visibility at the Langkawi airport was about 400 meters and facilities there were not sufficient to maneuver a landing.

"We have temporarily suspended operations to Langkawi amid intermittent poor visibility to ensure passenger safety. We hope to resume later in the afternoon when the weather improves," he told AFP.

The airline had late Monday postponed several flights to the northern state of Penang following heavy rain which impaired visibility but operations there resumed Tuesday, he said.

The Air Pollutant Index in Penang hit an unhealthy level of 134 points early yesterday from 61 points the previous day. From 50-100 is considered moderate while 101-200 is unhealthy.