A Lion Air plane flying from Surabaya to Jeddah was diverted to Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, on Monday, after the airspace over Sri Lanka was temporarily closed.
he closure of Sri Lankan airspace forced a Lion Air umrah (minor haj) flight to divert and land at Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang regency, North Sumatra, on Monday evening, the airline said.
“It [the diversion] was done because there was a change in Notam (Notice to Airmen) from the authorities in Sri Lanka,” Lion Air spokesman Danang Mandala Prihantoro said on Monday evening, as quoted by Antara news agency.
The Notam declared a temporary closure of airspace over Sri Lanka.
The Lion Air Airbus A330-900neo widebody aircraft, flying as flight JT-106, was carried umrah pilgrims from Surabaya to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and its flight path crossed Sri Lanka.
Danang said the diversion to the alternate airport was an aviation standard operating procedure to ensure flight security and safety.
“The diversion to Kualanamu International Airport was not caused by aircraft technical problems,” Danang said.
“All the taken procedures showed Lion Air’s commitment to protecting the safety of passengers and aircraft crew.”
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