D

umai Municipal Transportation Agency has temporarily closed Pinang Kampai Airport to commercial flights due to security and safety reasons.

Head of the agency'€™s airport technical management unit (UPT), Catur Hargowo, said his office had been forced to close the airport to commercial flights because the facility had not yet fulfilled the main requirements to serve civilian flights.

'€œThe airport has not yet been certified by the Transportation Ministry,'€ said Catur over the phone on Thursday, adding that Law No. 1/2009 on flights required certification for airports serving civilian flights.

The closure, Catur went on, was also based on a recommendation by a special team tasked by the agency to evaluate flight security at the airport.

The team, he said, concluded that the airport'€™s technical operation had the potential for accidents because both edges of the runway were blocked by oil palm trees and acacia.

'€œThis makes it difficult to land and to take off on the runway, which is only 1,800 meters long,'€ said Catur.

The team, according to Catur, also highlighted the passenger and baggage checks, which had been manually conducted thus far because the X-ray machine was damaged.

Catur also said that the commercial flight ban was only applied to aircraft with more than 30 seats, while those with less seats, including aircraft belonging to the military, could still use the airport.

There are only two companies that serve regular flights to Pinang Kampai: Pelita Air, which used Fokker 100; and Sky Aviation, which use Fokker 50, both have two flights a day five days a week.

'€œPelita'€™s aircraft were specially chartered by Chevron and [state-owned company] Pertamina, while half of Sky Aviation'€™s seats are for Pertamina'€™s employees,'€ Catur said.

Catur also said that his office had asked the Transportation Ministry to verify its worthiness as soon as possible so that he could decide whether the temporary closure should continue.

Pinang Kampai Airport has been on loan to the Dumai administration, from state-owned oil and gas company PT Pertamina'€™s Refinery Unit (RU) II Dumai, since 2008. The contract is due to expire on Dec. 31.

Two years ago the city administration was allocated state budget funds to expand the airport but the money was later withdrawn due to ownership problems.

Separately, Pertamina RU II Dumai spokesperson Yefrizon said as the owner of the property, Pertamina could not just cut the trees grown around the airport'€™s runway.

'€œIf they [the trees] belong to the people then the people must also be involved in the process so as to prevent any problems,'€ he said.