Airlines warned due to high winds

The operator of the Abdul Rachman Saleh airport in Malang, East Java, has warned airlines flying to the city to remain alert due to strong winds that have hit the area since Tuesday.

“The high winds can cause planes to skid,” airport managing unit head Teguh Susilo said on Thursday.

Several airlines have reportedly had to delay flights because of the bad weather.

The airport’s air traffic control officers have asked pilots to delay flights until the wind speeds return to normal.

Sriwijaya Air Malang branch manager Muhammad Yusri Hansyah asked passengers to be patient should their flights be delayed.

“The delays are for the sake of safety of all passengers and flights,” Yusri said.

The Meteorology, Climatology, Geophysics Agency (BMKG) Karangploso office forecast that the strong winds, reaching up to 35 kilometers per hour and caused by low pressure in the Indian Ocean, would last until next week.

State power company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) Malang office has been forced to cut power supplies throughout the region over the past three days.

“The power chain has been disrupted by falling trees,” PLN Malang marketing manager assistant Santjoko said.

Strong winds in the region have toppled trees and billboards in Malang and its surrounding cities.

Santjoko said that his office had deployed teams to repair the disconnected power lines, adding that he could not be sure when the power supply would be back to normal.

The office serves 790,000 power connections in Malang and its surrounding areas, supplying an average of 180 megawatts daily, tempo.co reported. (swd)