BADUNG ~

The commercial flight schedule in Ngurah Rai Airport will be postponed for three days during APEC Summit 2013 in Bali, at the beginning of October. The temporary closing will be done at the arrival and departure of presidents and delegates from 21 APEC members.

“Ngurah Rai Airport is ready to welcome all delegates of APEC Summit 2013. However, APEC Summit 2013 is an international event that conveys the national image. Regarding that issue, based on the results of meeting and coordination between Angkasa Pura Airports, the APEC organizing committee, Ministry of Transportation, and other related institutions, we agree to close Ngurah Rai Airport for three days, which is October 6, 8 and 9, 2013. This closure is only at certain time, not a full day closure,” said the Corporate Communication of PT Angkasa Pura I (Persero) Handy Heryudhitiawan.

According to Handy, on October 6, 2013, Ngurah Rai Airport is closed for commercial flights from 10.00 am WITA to 08.00 pm WITA for the arrival of leaders of APEC members. Later, Ngurah Rai Airport will be closed again at the departure of APEC delegates on October 8, 2013 from 01.00 pm WITA to 08.00 pm WITA and on October 9, 2013 at 07.00 am WITA to 02.00pm WITA.

“We apologize for any inconvenience. For passengers, we really expect that they arrange their flight schedule from and to Bali except those times. To the airlines, we expect that they anticipate re-schedule or switch the flight schedule related to this closure,” Handy added.

To avoid traffic congestion at the arrival of the guests to Bali at APEC Summit, some supporting airports also have been prepared. “We prepare five supporting airports for APEC Summit 2013, they are Juanda Airport Surabaya, Sepinggan Airport Balikpapan, Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar, Adisutjipto Airport Yogyakarta, and also Adi Soemarmo Airport Surakarta. So, there will be some delegates’ airplane moved to stand by at those five airports so that the condition at Ngurah Rai Airport can be a bit more loose,” Handy explained.