Rain disrupts flights in Medan

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Two hours of rain forced a number of flights to cancel landing at Polonia International Airport in Medan, North Sumatra, on Tuesday, airlines and officials said.

They said at least four flights -- one operated by Jatayu Airlines from Kuala Lumpur, and the others by Lion Air, Batavia and Adam Air, all from Jakarta -- had to reroute to Pekanbaru, Riau.

The rain reduced visibility at Polonia airport, so the flights had to be redirected elsewhere, the district manager of Batavia's Medan office, Sandi Novianto, said.

However, he said Batavia and Adam Air planes left Pekanbaru and landed in Medan at around 5:15 p.m. after a two-hour delay. --JP