Airport News - Asia / Pacific.

Oct 9, 2006

Indonesia Urges Airport Landing Review Due To Haze. Indonesia on Wednesday urged airports in areas shrouded by thick smoke from forest fires to close if conditions made landings' hazardous, after a jet with more than 100 on board skidded off a runway in Borneo. The passenger jet operated by Mandala Airlines skidded off the runway on landing in thick haze in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province on Tuesday as fires spread choking haze to neighboring Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. The current regulations allowed a pilot to decide whether it was safe enough to land, he said. Raharjo said haze had contributed to the mishap involving the Mandala Boeing 737-200 aircraft. No one was hurt after the jet skidded 50 metres off the runway in Tarakan. An air traffic controller at Cilik Riwut Airport in Central Kalimantan said there had been some landing delays on Wednesday. The haze, caused mostly by farmers and plantation owners setting fires to clear land, has forced many flights to be delayed or cancelled in Indonesia in recent days. South-southwesterly winds have blown smoke from fires in central and south Sumatra to Singapore and Malaysia, obscuring sunlight and reducing temperatures and visibility. The haze appeared to worsen in Malaysia on Wednesday, with pollution hitting unhealthy levels in more areas. The Borneo state of Sarawak, blanketed by smog for weeks, was the worst hit. Oct 4, 2006

Since the Kashmiri man hanging date was announced last week in New Delhi, there have been nearly daily protests in Indian Kashmir. The airports include those in the capital, New Delhi, and the cities of Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi and Kolkata. Five gunmen stormed the heavily guarded parliament complex on December 13, 2001. The attack, blamed by India on Pakistan but denied by Islamabad, brought the nuclear-armed rivals dangerously close to their fourth war. More than 45,000 people have been killed in the 17-year-old separatist revolt in Jammu and Kashmir. An Indian Airlines plane was hijacked by Kashmiri militants in 1999 en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi and was taken to the Afghan city of Kandahar. The week-long siege ended after India released three Kashmiri militants from prison. Oct 4, 2006

Jet Skids Off Indonesia Runway In Smoky Haze. A passenger jet skidded off the runway upon landing in thick haze in Indonesia on Tuesday as forest fires in the country spread a pall of smoke around the region. A Boeing 737-200 jet skidded 50 metres off the runway in the town of Tarakan in Indonesia's East Kalimantan province on Borneo island. The haze, caused mostly by farmers and plantation owners setting fires to clear land, has forced many flights to be delayed or cancelled in Indonesia in recent days, with five cancellations in the Sumatra island province of Jambi on Tuesday. Purwasto, a senior official in Indonesia's Environment Ministry, said that the PSI reading was "more than 100" in the worst-hit parts of the country. Each year, uncontrolled slash-and-burn practices by farmers, plantation owners and loggers on the Indonesian islands send a smoky haze to Singapore, Malaysia and southern Thailand. The NEA said satellite pictures showed 97 hotspots and dense smoke haze in Sumatra, a large Indonesian island west of Singapore. The haze has also begun to envelop Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, obscuring hills surrounding the city. But residents said it was nowhere near as bad as last year's choking smog. The Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah on Borneo were the worst affected on Tuesday. In one area of Sarawak, which has been blanketed by heavy smog for weeks, the air-pollution index approached "very unhealthy" levels at the daily 0300 GMT reading. Local media said authorities plan to seed clouds over Sarawak in an effort to clear the haze, but have not said when the operations will begin. Oct 3, 2006

Taiwan, China Resume Direct Holiday Flights. A charter plane left Taipei for Shanghai on Friday morning to kick off a 10-day Mid-Autumn Festival travel season in Taiwan and China, which seldom allow direct flights because of deep political differences. The Eva Air flight, which was almost full, was expected back later in the day with every seat occupied, largely by Taiwan business people, an airline spokesman said. About 1 million Taiwanese citizens work or live in China. Travelers previously had to change flights in Hong Kong or Macau to return home for the traditional holiday. Another 47 flights involving six airlines from Taiwan and six from China will cross the straits before October 8. Oct 2, 2006

For security reasons, the Taiwan flights must fly via Hong Kong air space, without landing, while traveling between Taipei or Kaohsiung in Taiwan and Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xiamen. Taiwan has banned direct air links with China since their split in 1949 after a civil war, with Taipei concerned that easy travel links could undermine its security and immigration rules. The two sides exchanged landmark non-stop charter flights for the first time in more than 50 years during the Lunar New Year Festival of January and February 2005. In June China and Taiwan agreed to regular direct passenger flights during four traditional holiday seasons every year. Taiwan will allow special emergency medical and humanitarian aid charter flights as well as direct cargo flights on a case-by-case basis, the two sides decided. China views Taiwan as a part of its territory and has threatened the use of force if the self-ruled island formally declares independence. Oct 2, 2006

Alpha Airports

Alpha Airports Group, the UK-based retail and catering services provider, will form a JV with Pantaloon Retail, part of Future Group of India, to explore opportunities at Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi airports. Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji is expected to issue its request for proposals shortly Oct 4, 2006

Bangkok

Thailand seems to be functioning as usual in airline terms in spite of the army takeover of the country. From a business travel point of view the timing could not have been worse with some domestic services now transferred to the new Suvarnabhumi airport, necessitating some passengers having to make an arduous road journey in order to connect. If all goes to plan the innovative airport, which claims to have the world's largest terminal building (563,000 sq. m) and tallest control tower and also features a spa and bowling alley, is scheduled to be fully operational by September with virtually all commercial flights to Don Muang ceasing. One thing for sure, if it does not work, whoever forms the new government of the Kingdom will not take the blame. http://www.thaiair.com Oct 2, 2006

Bangkok, Thai Airways, Smiths Detection

Smiths Detection said it was awarded a $10 million contract to supply a comprehensive integrated security system for Thai Airways at the new Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. Smiths is partnering with EMC Group Public Co., a Thai electrical and mechanical engineering contractor. Oct 6, 2006

Indian Airport

Indian Airport Security Stepped Up Over Hijack Fears. Security has been stepped up at a number of major Indian airports after warnings that a flight to or from Nepal could be hijacked, a security official said on Wednesday. The alert was issued after a New Delhi court ordered a Kashmiri man to be hanged on October 20 for his role in a 2001 attack on the Indian parliament,. Mohammed Afzal's wife on Tuesday asked the president of India, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, to pardon her husband, and his decision is awaited. In response to the threat, more security officials have been sent to at least 13 airports, manual searches have been increased and quick-reaction teams stationed at airports have been told to be extra vigilant. Oct 4, 2006

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur was also covered by haze with the API level rising to just below the "unhealthy" mark. Visibility at the capital's main airport fell to 3,000-4,000 metres from the usual 10,000 metres, an airport official said. Oct 4, 2006

Shanghai Airports

Shanghai Airports To Increase Capacity. Shanghai's two airports could handle nearly 120 percent more passengers and 126 percent more cargo when they complete their multi-phase expansion by 2015, state media said. Oct 2, 2006

Editor: Aram Gesar, eMail: [e-mail]

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Oct 2, 2006