KOTA KINABALU: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) has reopened one of its runways after a Notice to Airmen (Notam) was issued to carry out repairs on Thursday (Sept 17).
It is learnt that the Notam was lifted and the runway reopened at around 3.05pm the same day after repairs to unevenness or holes on the surface.
The Notam was issued to facilitate rectification works at around 2pm on Thursday.
According to a Malaysia Airports (MAHB) notice earlier, the runway would be reopen after the necessary safety inspections and clearing works were completed.
Dozens of delayed flights were subsequently allowed to take off in sequence thereafter.
Passengers who had boarded planes for their Thursday afternoon flights were reportedly asked to wait in their seats until further notice.
A civil servant returning from Kuching to Kota Kinabalu on a 2.35pm flight said they were informed of the runway closure not long before boarding and were told there were urgent technical issues as well as bad weather affecting the flight.
"I guess it's better to be safe than sorry," said the 50-year-old.
In an update at 8.30pm, KKIA said continuous rainfall had affected work on the runway.
"The temporary closure affected 20 flights today. We are working closely with the airlines to manage the operational impact and support affected passengers," it said.
"Safety remains our highest priority and flight operations will resume only when the runway is confirmed safe for use," said Malaysia Airports.
It advised passengers to check their latest flight status directly with their respective airlines and apologised for the inconvenience caused.
