Dumai, Riau (ANTARA News) - Operational chief of Pinang Kampai airport at Dumai Riau Irvan said that thick smog has caused flights to be transferred to nearby airports.

The smog that covers Dumai airport was very thick and the worst ever, especially after it caused flights transfer, Irvan said here Tuesday.

Irvan said that the airport will be reopen for flights when the smog is thinning or until more than 200 meters visibility range achieved.

Meanwhile, there is a flight transferred to airport in Pekanbaru which then be resumed to Dumai airport, a chartered Fokker 100 Pelita Air departed from Jakarta`s Halim Perdana Kusuma at 09.00 am.

The heavy smog is expected to clear out on the afternoon considering the strong wind that blows the smog wisp, and flights resumed, said Irvan.

"Fortunately the chartered Pelita Air was the only flight schedule for today, there is no schedule for any commercial flight such as Sky Aviation and Merpati," he said.

On separate occasion, Head of Forestry Department of Agriculture, Plantation and Forestry Hadiono said that the institution had received reports on peat land burn and bushfire which led the thick smog occurred on Tuesday.

"The local forest and land fires management team has also been deployed to track the hotspots locations," he said.

The team is focusing on Medang Kampai and Sungai Sembilan districts known as land and forest fire prone areas.
(Uu.A050/H-NG/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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