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Islands in focus: Lightning strike paralyzes Batam airport
The management of Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, Riau Islands, was forced to close down the airport from Sunday evening to Monday morning after a lightning strike damaged air-navigation equipment
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he management of Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, Riau Islands, was forced to close down the airport from Sunday evening to Monday morning after a lightning strike damaged air-navigation equipment.
The airport's general affairs head, Suwarso, said on Monday that the incident had interfered with the airport's radio communication and instrument landing system, forcing the airport authority to cancel all incoming and outgoing flights between 6:11 p.m. on Sunday and 6:18 a.m. the next day for safety reasons.
'Eight flights were canceled as a result of the incident,' he said, adding that the airport had begun operating normally after the 12-hour closure.
The incident also created temporary chaos in the airport as passengers, who were not immediately informed about the technical problems, initially blamed the airlines for the flight delays. 'The incident has nothing to do with the airlines. It was purely triggered by weather issues,' Suwarso said.
Travelers affected by the closure were accommodated in local hotels and resumed their travel as soon as the airport reopened.
