Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. A Batik Air flight bound for Silampari Airport in Lubuklinggau was forced to return to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten on Saturday due to extreme weather conditions during its approach.
“The flight had to return to base because weather conditions at Silampari Airport were below landing minimums,” said Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Civil Aviation, on Sunday (29/6/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.
The aircraft, carrying 141 passengers and crew, was scheduled to land at 15:20 WIB. However, a storm with heavy rain, thick cumulonimbus clouds, and visibility of only 1,000 meters forced the pilot to abort landing and attempt a holding pattern.
When conditions failed to improve, the aircraft safely returned to Soetta at 3.40 pm. The same flight later departed again at 18:05 WIB and landed safely at Silampari Airport at 7.22 pm.
The Ministry of Transportation reminded all airlines to prioritize flight safety and ensure proper handling for affected passengers.
(mg/inp/pr/rs)