Ternate Airport Takes Precautions Over Flight Risks Caused by Haze

Ambon (ANTARA) — The operator of Sultan Baabullah Airport in Ternate, North Maluku, is taking precautions against flight-safety risks caused by limited visibility as smoke from forest and land fires has blanketed the area in recent days.

The airport’s acting daily head, Zainal Abidin, said in Ternate on Tuesday that visibility, which had been about three kilometres on Sunday (11 October), fell to 1.5 kilometres on Monday (12 October), disrupting flight operations.

“Flight safety is the priority when visibility is limited by the haze blanketing this area,” he said.

He explained that the conditions had prevented several aircraft from landing at Sultan Baabullah Airport, forcing them to divert to other airports, including Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi, and airports in Gorontalo.

In addition to diversions, several flights from Jakarta and Makassar were delayed. Zainal said four airlines had been affected since Sunday: Lion Air, Batik Air, Sriwijaya Air and Garuda Indonesia.

Zainal expressed hope that the haze would soon clear so flights to and from Ternate could return to normal.

According to the latest information received, the haze persisted, with visibility at about 1.2 kilometres, and no flights were operating.

Meanwhile, observations at the Sultan Baabullah Airport passenger terminal showed hundreds of passengers still waiting for confirmation of their departure times following the delays, particularly those travelling to Jakarta, Makassar and Manado.