Five flights, including Malaysian transport minister’s, disrupted by haze at Johor’s Senai airport

JOHOR BAHRU – Five flights at Malaysia’s Senai International Airport were affected by poor visibility due to thick haze on the morning of Oct 8, said the country’s transport minister Anthony Loke.Loke, whose flight was also affected by the haze, added that several aircraft could not land at the airport due to safety concerns, forcing diversions elsewhere.“Aircraft were unable to land due to safety requirements because of the poor visibility.“As a result, several flights had to be diverted to Kuala Lumpur, while I understand that one was diverted to Changi Airport in Singapore.“In total, five flights were affected, with some unable to land while others experienced departure delays,” he told a press conference after launching the Port of Tanjung Pelepas’ electrical prime movers fleet.Loke said his flight from Kuala Lumpur to Johor, scheduled to depart at 7.15am local time, was delayed until 9am because of the haze.“After we boarded at 6.45am, the pilot informed us air traffic control advised that aircraft could not land at Senai Airport.“Since we would not be able to land even if we took off, it was better for us to wait at the airport,” he said, adding that they waited for almost an hour and 45 minutes.He said many passengers were still waiting for their flights when he arrived at Senai International Airport.“I believe the situation can be resolved within two to three hours,” he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK