19 flights affected in Penang due to haze

A total of 19 flights to and from Penang International Airport (LTAPP), Bayan Lepas near here, were affected due to low visibility following worsening haze condition.

LTAPP senior airport manager Mohd Nadzim Hashim said as at 5.00pm today, four flights were canceled while eight departure flights were delayed.

In addition he said two flights were forced to turn back while five other flights which were scheduled to land were delayed or diverted to another airport.

"The four flights which were cancelled were Singapore and Taipei return flights," he said here today.

On the flight diversions he said a flight from Singapore was diverted to Medan in Indonesia; a flight from Taipei was diverted to Langkawi and three others from Bangkok, Hong Kong and Taipei were diverted to Kuala Lumpur.

Mohd Nadzim said the delayed departures involved flights to Singapore, Subang, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Medan, adding that two flights from Medan and Kuala Lumpur were also forced to turn back.

Meanwhile in Ipoh 1,418 passengers were affected after all flights at Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (LTSAS) here were canceled due to the haze today.

LTSAS manager Mohd Ali Osman said the flights which were canceled since 9.45am today involved Air Asia’s Singapore-Ipoh-Johor Bahru route; Malindo’s Ipoh-Johor Bahru-Ipoh route and the Singapore-Ipoh-Singapore route by FlyScoot, Singapore’s low-cost carrier.

"Twelve flights  to and from Singapore and Johor Bahru had to be cancelled for security reasons and flight operations will resume when the weather situation improves,” he said when met by reporters today.

- Bernama