Super Air Jet Lombok-Surabaya Flight Delayed 5 Hours, Passengers Protest
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – A Super Air Jet flight on the Lombok-Surabaya route experienced a delay of nearly five hours at Lombok Airport, West Nusa Tenggara. The delay triggered protests from a number of passengers. The protests went viral on social media, with several passengers demanding clarity on departure times and calling on the airline to take responsibility.
Super Air Jet flight IU 721, scheduled to depart at 4:55 p.m. local time on Friday (2/13), was only able to take off in the evening after a delay of more than four hours from the original schedule.
The prolonged delay created a tense atmosphere in the waiting area as passengers waited with no certainty about departure times. As a response to the situation, the airline provided compensation to every passenger affected by the delay.
“Thank God there was compensation, so it’s a bit of a relief. But I’m still disappointed because I missed an important event,” said one passenger, Hakim, after receiving cash compensation of Rp 300,000.
The compensation was provided in accordance with applicable regulations for passengers experiencing flight delays of more than 240 minutes. Indonesian regulations require airlines to provide this entitlement to passengers when delays are caused by operational factors that are the airline’s responsibility.
In addition to compensation, the airline also issued an apology for the inconvenience customers experienced due to the prolonged delay. In its statement, Super Air Jet emphasized that all passengers had been compensated in accordance with regulations and that safety remains the top priority in all flight operations.
After the situation was handled, flight IU 721 finally departed in the evening after all passengers received compensation and confirmation of the new schedule. The initially heated atmosphere gradually calmed once flight confirmation was communicated to passengers.
Meanwhile, a delay also occurred on a Super Air Jet Jakarta-Bali route on Thursday (2/12). Regarding that incident, Super Air Jet issued an apology for the inconvenience experienced by passengers related to the delayed departure of flight IU-742 on the Jakarta to Bali route.
“The delay occurred because the aircraft planned to operate the flight needed to undergo an unscheduled technical inspection,” the airline’s official statement read. “This process is part of mandatory operational procedures to ensure flight safety and security. The work required time and could not be done instantly, which impacted the subsequent aircraft rotation,” it added.
Super Air Jet said it had provided compensation in accordance with applicable regulations. “We also continued to provide information updates throughout the handling process,” it said.
This delay incident serves as a reminder of the importance of clear communication between airlines and passengers during operational disruptions. Although compensation was provided, several passengers still expressed disappointment as their time and important schedules were also disrupted by the lengthy delay.