Lion Air Group Cancels 20 Flights Due to Poor Visibility Caused by Sumatra, Kalimantan Forest Fires
Jakarta. The Lion Air Group, operator of Lion Air, Wings Air and Batik Air, had to cancel 20 flights and divert or delay several others on Saturday after thick smoke reduced visibility at some airports in Indonesia.
Corporate spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro said the decision was made in the interest of aviation safety.
"To ensure safety, the Lion Air Group delayed, diverted and canceled some flights to and from several domestic destinations. It also affected the rotation of some flights," he said in a statement.
Haze caused by ongoing forest fires on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan affected a total of 54 flights by the company's airlines. Besides those that were canceled, 21 were delayed and five had to be diverted.
The canceled flights, all by Wings Air, are as follows:
- IW-1276 from Batam to Dumai
- IW-1277 from Dumai to Batam
- IW-1238 from Dumai to Medan Kualanamu
- IW-1239 from Medan Kualanamu to Dumai
- IW-1279 from Dumai to Pekanbaru
- IW-1278 from Pekanbaru to Dumai
- IW-1150 from Jambi to Muara Bungo
- IW-1150 from Muara Bungo to Kerinci
- IW-1151 from Kerinci to Muara Bungo
- IW-1151 from Muara Bungo to Jambi
- IW-1485 from Berau to Samarinda
- IW-1484 from Samarinda to Berau
- IW-1364 from Balikpapan to Berau
- IW-1381 from Berau to Balikpapan
- IW-1358 from Balikpapan to Tanjung Selor
- IW-1359 from Tanjung Selor to Balikpapan
- IW-1366 from Balikpapan to Berau
- IW-1365 from Berau to Balikpapan
- IW-1374 from Pangkalan Bun to Sampit
- IW-1374 from Sampit to Palangkaraya