Kite flyers ignore municipality's airport law

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 09/13/2006 8:30 AM  |  Jakarta

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Hundreds of residents living near the runways of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang continue to ignore a ban on flying kites in the area.

The municipality passed the law after pilots complained about the safety risk the toys posed.

""This is just a seasonal thing and kite-flying is a form of amusement for residents here,"" Anwar, a resident of Tangerang's Mekarsari subdistrict, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

""We would very much regret it if airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II bans residents from flying kites without providing any solution,"" he said.

He said there was no other way for the locals to enjoy their hobby. Many residents are also not aware of the ordinance, which bans the activity within nine kilometers of the airport and carries a penalty of three months in jail or a Rp 3 million fine.

""The airport operator and the administration shouldn't just ban people from flying kites. They are also responsible for the damage inflicted on houses by the strong winds the aircraft cause,"" he said.

Anwar said he and other residents had repeatedly complained about damaged houses to the airport operator but were yet to receive any response on the topic.

Endi, a resident of Selapajang subdistrict who is also a kite maker, said the ban had not been properly introduced in his area.

""We know that Angkasa Pura officers regularly come to this area to monitor residents flying kites but we just ignore them and they can do nothing to stop us,"" he said.

He said the residents did not believe that the kites disturbed flights or had any impact on landings and take-offs. They usually start flying the kites at around 3 p.m., peak time at the airport.

""If Ankasa Pura wants people to stop flying kites, then it will have to provide compensation,"" Endi said.

Company spokesman M. Wasfan Wahyu said pilots had often complained about the kites.

""We hope that the residents will realize the danger of doing so around the airport because they could hit airplanes or enter their engines,"" he said.

Tangerang mayor Wahidin Halim said he was aware that the bylaw had not been effective.

""I will tell all district and subdistrict heads around the airport to disseminate information on the kite flying ban to residents more intensively,"" he said.

National Transportation Safety Committee head Setio Raharjo said an airport needed to have clear area around it with a radius of at least eight kilometers.

""It (a kite) might seem like a harmless thing, but in aviation it would be fatal if a free-flying kite got sucked into an airplane's engine,"" he said.

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