By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, June 23: Flight operations at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) have been impacted due to a temporary closure of the airport’s runway until 3pm today.
In a Travel Advisory posted on Facebook, Malaysia Airports said this followed an aircraft-related incident at 11.30am today.
It explained that the closure was to facilitate the removal of a Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) aircraft and subsequent runway clearing works.
“A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued, and the closure is expected to continue until 3pm today. During this closure, all flight operations at KIA will be impacted.
“Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines. The airport will provide further updates once the runway is declared safe and open for flight operations by the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM),” said the post.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said that the aircraft encountered issues during landing at around 11.15am, prompting the authorities to halt all commercial flights and reroute several inbound services as a safety measure.
“Military personnel are currently handling the situation and working to clear the runway as quickly as possible,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the incident and confirmed that his ministry is in close communication with the relevant agencies.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and are working with all relevant authorities to ensure that the runway is cleared as soon as possible, so that all affected flights can resume safely,” he said.
Passengers are advised to stay updated via official airline channels for the latest information on rescheduled flights. — DayakDaily
