Flights Diverted
Five domestic flights were redirected: two Lion Air flights from Semarang and Yogyakarta and diverted to Surabaya, and three others to Lombok—Batik Air and Super Air Jet from Surabaya, and Lion Air from Balik Papan.
Two international flights were also affected. A Malindo Air flight from Melbourne was diverted to Surabaya, while an AirAsia flight from Perth landed in Lombok instead.
These diversions were implemented due to the heavy rainfall that rediced visibility below safety thresholds.
Rising Holiday Traffic
The disruptions occurred during the peak holiday season.
Last week (18–22 December), the airport handled 358.901 passengers in just a four-day span, a 12% increase in passenger traffic compared to the same period last year.
Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I, highlighted the significant rise in passenger volume.
“This holiday season, we’ve seen an average of nearly 72.000 passengers per day, compared to the annual daily average of 65.000,” he said.
Of these passengers, approximately 53% were arrivals, with 83.000 on domestic routes and 108.000 on international routes.
Delays and Coordination
The adverse weather also delayed 10 domestic and four international flights, with delays lasting 60–120 minutes.
By 3 p.m., all delayed flights had departed safely.
Syaugi emphasized the importance of coordination during this period of high demand and challenging weather. “We are working closely with all stakeholders to manage disruptions and ensure regular updates to passengers,” he said.
