KUCHING: The Sarawak Transport Ministry is closely monitoring the situation following a military aircraft incident at Kuching International Airport (KIA) which occurred on Monday (June 23), resulting in the temporary suspension of all flight operations.
Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said military personnel are currently managing the situation and working to clear the runway as quickly as possible.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and are working with all relevant authorities to ensure that the runway is cleared as soon as possible, so that all affected flights can resume safely," he said in a statement.
He also advised passengers to stay updated via official airline channels for the latest information on rescheduled flights.
The incident occurred at 11.15am when the aircraft encountered issues during landing, prompting authorities to halt all commercial flights and reroute several inbound services as a safety measure.
Earlier, Malaysia Airports in a Facebook post stated that following an aircraft-related incident, the runway at KIA was temporarily closed to facilitate the removal of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft and subsequent runway clearing works.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) has been issued, with the closure expected to continue until 3pm. During this period, all flight operations at KIA will be impacted.
Passengers are advised to check with their respective airlines, and the airport will provide further updates once the runway is declared safe and reopened for operations by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). - Bernama
