Bali, Indonesia Sentinel — Seven flights were unable to land at Bali I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Saturday, December 28, 2024 due to heavy rainfall. Airport General Manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab states that the flights unable to land and were diverted to Surabaya and Lombok.
In an official statement issued in Denpasar, Syaugi said the diversion procedure was implemented as a safety measure amid adverse weather conditions caused by persistent heavy rain since morning.
“The seven diverted flights consisted of five domestic and two international flights,” Syaugi said, as reported by Antara on Saturday, Decemeber 28.
Two domestic flights rerouted to Surabaya included Lion Air services operating the Semarang-Bali and Yogyakarta-Bali routes. Meanwhile, three domestic flights redirected to Lombok included Batik Air’s Surabaya-Bali route, Super Air Jet’s Surabaya-Bali route, and Lion Air’s Balikpapan-Bali route.
For international services, Malindo Air’s Melbourne-Bali flight was diverted to Surabaya, while AirAsia’s Perth-Bali flight landed in Lombok.
Ngurah Rai Airport clarified that flight diversions are standard safety protocols during extreme weather events, particularly when visibility falls below minimum operational requirements.
Delays and Safety Measures
Heavy rain since morning also caused delays for several departing flights from Ngurah Rai Airport. “Data shows delays affected 10 domestic and four international flights, with average delays ranging from 60 to 120 minutes,” Syaugi added.
By Saturday afternoon, all delayed flights had successfully departed, and passengers from the diverted flights had safely reached their destinations.
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In anticipation of increased traffic during the Christmas and New Year holiday season, Ngurah Rai Airport has set up a dedicated command post to address passenger needs and ensure smooth operations.
Weather Forecast Remains Unfavorable
Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued a weather advisory predicting rainfall across multiple regions. The forecast covers the period from Sunday, December 29, 2024, at 7:00 AM WIB to Monday, December 30, 2024, at 7:00 AM WIB.
BMKG predicts moderate to heavy rainfall expected in several areas including Bali, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), East Java, and Jakarta.
Authorities are urging travelers to stay updated on weather conditions and check with airlines for flight status before heading to the airport.
(Raidi/Agung)
