Merpati aircraft aborts flight

Merpati aircraft aborts flight

PONTIANAK, West Kalimantan: An airliner belonging to Merpati Nusantara Airlines was forced to returned just minutes after take off due to engine trouble Saturday.

The plane with 54 people on board landed safely, though it ended up blocking the runway and disrupting flights throughout the day.

Several domestic flights could not land at the airport and some had to change direction and land at airports in Jambi and in Palembang, South Sumatra, Antara reported. The news agency did not mention the aircraft's destination.

Head of the Pontianak office of the government-run Angkasa Pura airport management company Basuki Sukotjo said the airplane left the airport at 7:35 a.m. but returned back about an hour later due to a machine malfunction.(imn)