KUCHING: Low visibility due to haze disrupts aircraft arrivals and departures at Kuching International Airport as the Kuching division recorded an unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 146 as of 10am today.
The problem had inadvertently affected outbound flight from the airport.
According to a Bintulu-bound passenger, who requested anonymity, said his AirAsia flight that was supposed to depart from the airport at 9.35am have been delayed to an unidentified time.
“I was told by an AirAsia ground staff that the flight had departed from Sibu and transit in Kuching before heading to Bintulu.
“However, due to the thick haze, the aircraft could not land in Kuching.
“And I learned that there are other aircraft from other airlines that are facing the same problem,” he said, adding that the airport was getting crowded due to the delays.
Senior Airport Manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim confirmed that there were disruptions in the flight landings for a number of airlines.
“The problem with the haze is that arrival flights cannot land due to low visibility, which in turn, contribute to link delay for departure.
“The ground visibility at the Kuching International Airport is between 800m and 1000m. The pilot for the respective aircrafts will decide whether to land or divert the flight.
“So far, we have not faced any problem with flight departure,” said Nadzim.
The haze had also disrupted the operations at the Miri Airport in Miri, said a MASwings spokesman.
“Yes. It is confirm that some flights have been delayed. It is the usual weather problem that we have no control,” he said.
Meanwhile, other parts of the state that are badly affected by the haze included the Samarahan and Sri Aman divisions, which registered an unhealthy API reading of 171 and 148 respectively.