Zainuddin said faults were detected on the runway’s edge lights after 3pm yesterday.
SIBU: A total of 1,561 passengers were affected when 12 flights to and from Sibu were cancelled due to the closure of Sibu Airport runway yesterday evening.
Sibu Airport manager Zainuddin Abu Nasir said the decision was made following detection of faulty runway edge lights.
“We detected faulty runway edge lights after 3pm today (yesterday) and after deliberation with the airport’s Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) members, we decided to close the runway at 7pm.
“A flight to Kuala Lumpur was the last flight that managed to depart from Sibu at 6.50pm,” he told a press conference at the airport last night.
Zainuddin said the flights affected were 10 operated by Air Asia and two by Maswings.
The flights affected were Sibu to Kuching (scheduled to depart at 5.25pm), three Sibu-Kuala Lumpur flights at 6.50pm and 7.30pm and 8.15pm, Sibu-Miri (8.10pm) and Sibu-Kota Kinabalu (8.25pm), and two flights from Kuching estimated to arrive at 7.35pm and 8.55pm, two from Kuala Lumpur ETA 7.05pm and 8.50pm, one from Miri ETA 7.50pm and one from Kota Kinabalu ETA 8pm were also affected, he said.
“The lights were restored at 7.50pm but due to safety reason, we decided to close the runway for tonight’s (last night) operation. We need to repair and stabilise the lights,” he said.