gurah Rai International Airport will close flights to and from Bali for 45 minutes on Sunday to make way for Saudi Arabia’s Monarch Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who will be leaving the resort island after a week-long vacation.
King Salman and his entourage are scheduled to take off at 10.30 a.m for Haneda, Japan, using three of the Saudi Kingdom’s jets. One of the planes will transport the king and medical staff while the other two will carry his entourage and cargo, PT Jasa Angkasa Semesta (JAS), a company that handles the king’s ground handling, said Saturday.
“Flight activities will stop from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.,” Ngurah Rai Airport spokesman Arie Ahsanurrohim told Kompas.com.
The clearing of the airport was the same protocol when the king arrived on the island last Saturday. Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Jakarta previously said the king decided to have vacation in Bali because he loved the sea. He initially planned to leave last Thursday before eventually deciding to stay for three more days.
(Read also: Bali welcomes King Salman)
The king’s entourage, reportedly 1,500 in total, had gradually started to leave the resort island on Saturday. PT JAS said there were two flights carrying 230 people of the king’s retinue, which left on Saturday.
The visit to Indonesia is part of the king’s wider agenda to tour Asian countries in an effort to rekindle Saudi Arabia’s relation with Asian countries. (saf/ary)
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.