ISKANDAR PUTERI (Oct 8): Five flights scheduled to arrive at and depart from Senai International Airport, Johor Bahru, were affected on Thursday morning due to poor visibility caused by haze.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the weather conditions affected flight operations as aircraft were unable to land for safety reasons.

He said several affected flights had to be diverted to other locations, including Kuala Lumpur and Changi Airport in Singapore, while flights that had yet to depart were instructed to delay their journeys.

“Several flights this morning (Thursday) were indeed affected by poor visibility at Senai International Airport. Not only were aircraft unable to land, but those that had yet to depart were also instructed to delay their flights,” he said.

He told reporters this after launching Port of Tanjung Pelepas’ electrical prime movers fleet here on Thursday.

Loke also said his flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Senai, which was scheduled to depart at 7.15am, was also affected, with the departure delayed by one hour and 45 minutes before it was allowed to take off.

“My flight was also affected. It was supposed to depart early in the morning, but after checking in at around 7am, the pilot informed us that the aircraft could not land in Senai.

“Even if we departed, it still would not be able to land, so, it was better for us to wait at KLIA. We waited for almost one hour and 45 minutes and only took off at 9am,” he said.

Meanwhile, as of 9am, seven areas in Johor recorded air pollutant index (API) readings at the unhealthy level.

Segamat recorded the highest API reading at 186, followed by Pasir Gudang (180), Larkin (178) and Tangkak (171).

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