Smoke disrupts Manokwari flights, safety takes priority: official

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2 hours ago

Manokwari, W Papua (ANTARA) – Rendani Airport in Manokwari, West Papua, is prioritizing flight safety as wildfire smoke from nearby areas and South Papua disrupts visibility and forces delays and cancellations.

Herman Sujito, head of the Rendani Airport Class II Operator Unit, said here Monday that smoke has reduced pilots’ visibility below aviation safety requirements, frequently prompting cancellations and schedule changes.

“Since late September and through October, delays and even cancellations have increased because of reduced visibility,” he said.

Flights operated normally on Friday, Oct. 9, carrying a total of 599 arriving and departing passengers. But smoke blanketed Rendani Airport again on Saturday, October 10, forcing all flights to be canceled.

Similar conditions on Sunday morning and afternoon disrupted several routes to and from Manokwari. At around 10:30 p.m. local time, an airline operated by Lion Group managed to land.

“On Sunday, two airlines scheduled to land in the morning were delayed until midday. Another landed at night and departed early Monday,” Herman said.

On Monday, only flights to and from Sorong, Southwest Papua, were canceled because smoke reduced visibility. Flights serving other destinations operated normally, he said.

Flight schedules will be adjusted based on the latest weather reports from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) and visibility levels required for safe operations.

“Today, only flights to and from Sorong have been disrupted because smoke has blanketed the area,” Herman said.

Airlines will provide full ticket refunds without deductions and assist passengers with rescheduling, he said, as the cancellations resulted from circumstances beyond their control.

Herman urged the public to understand the situation and regularly check official BMKG weather updates before deciding to travel by air.

“Manokwari has been affected by wildfire smoke from Fakfak and Teluk Bintuni districts in West Papua, as well as Merauke district in South Papua,” Herman said.

“We hope the public will understand the situation,” he added.