Banten. The Jakarta Air Traffic Service Center (JATSC) reported that severe weather on Tuesday evening forced dozens of flights to cancel landings at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

“Due to adverse weather conditions starting at 6:00 p.m., several flights opted to return to their original airports or divert to alternative airports,” said Didik Agus Suryono, Deputy General Manager of Operations at JATSC, on Wednesday.

According to Didik, 23 flights were diverted to alternative airports, while nine attempted landings at Soekarno-Hatta but had to abort due to poor visibility.

“Landing attempts were hindered by low visibility and unfavorable winds. In this case, the issue was purely weather-related,” he explained.

Alternative airports included Padang, Halim Perdanakusuma, Semarang, and even Singapore for international flights.

“In aviation, if the destination airport is unfit for landing, there are established procedures to divert to an alternative airport, which could include the departure airport or another suitable location,” Didik added.

Despite the disruptions, Didik assured that Soekarno-Hatta’s runways and facilities remained in safe condition, with no flooding or damage reported.

“Thankfully, the runways are safe and operational. Flights have resumed normal operations, and all facilities are functioning properly,” he concluded.