Storm Results In Diversion Of Three Jakarta-Pekanbaru Flights

Pekanbaru, Riau, Sept 17 (Antara) - Three airplanes flying in from Jakarta were diverted to the Batam airport on Monday evening after their flight was disrupted by a storm at Pekanbaru`s Sultan Syarif Kasim airport in the Riau Province. The three airplanes, which were diverted from the Pekanbaru airport to the Batam airport, belonged to Lion Air, Batik Air and the Garuda Indonesia airlines. "The three flights were diverted to Batam on Monday evening because the condition of the Sultan Syarif Kasim (SSK) airport was very bad," SSK Airport duty manager Baiquni stated here on Tuesday. The storm had rendered the runways and apron insecure and hampered the pilot`s visibility, he added. "Therefore, the three planes chose to divert their landing to the Batam airport in the Riau Islands Province," Baiquni said.