Smog Distrupts Flights Departing From Banjarmasin Airport

Banjarbaru, Banjarmasin, Oct 7 (Antara) - The thick smog blanketing the Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin has delayed seven outbound flights due to the low visibility conditions prevailing since 6 a.m. local time, stated an official. The airport spokesperson Heru Widiatmo stated here on Tuesday that if the visibility improves then the delayed flights might resume. The runway`s visibility was reported to be 300 meters at 8.30 a.m. local time (GMT+7) whereas the visibility range is set at 500-800 meters for a plane to safely take off. "We were just informing about the visibility range to all the commercial flight pilots. If they think they can fly a plane in such low visibility conditions then they can fly," Heru remarked. Heru also pointed out that the flight delays had been occurring since last week at the Syamsudin Noor airport located in Landasan Ulin district, Banjarbaru. The pilots have been wary about flying due to low visibility caused by smog engulfing the airport. "The delay has been going on since last week, and we could not do anything because this smog limits visibility, and hence, the pilots do not want to take a risk," Heru emphasized. Earlier, the concentration of smog covering Banjarbaru was more severe in the Landasan Ulin district and the surrounding areas, which restricted visibility to below 50 meters. In the urban areas, the smog also reduced visibility to below 100 meters, which disrupted the community`s morning activities such as leaving for school and work.