Photo for illustration (Photo: AFP) Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation temporarily closed the ParoSub-district Airfield in Nduga district, Papua province, after the Susi AirPK-BVY aircraft attack incident on February 7 morning.
An armed group torched the Susi Air plane, coded SI 9368, at the airfield, capturing a New Zealand pilot and five passengers.
Ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati said that the airfield is still temporarilyclosed due to the position of the damaged plane in the middleof the airfield, (thereby) making it impossible to operate flights to or fromParo.
She said that theDirectorate General of Civil Aviation, through the Head of Merauke Region XAirport Authority Office, continues to coordinate and monitor developments of the attack on the Susi Air aircraft.
Until now, the exact whereabouts of the pilotand five passengers remain unknown, she said.
According toIrawati, in responding to this incident, the Directorate General of CivilAviation took steps to further improve security.
Airportadministrators were asked to coordinate with local security forces and be morevigilant by checking entry permits for people before entering the restrictedsecurity area of the airport.
Air transport operators must intensify passenger checks including boarding passes, identities, and luggage for flight safety.
Meanwhile, all airfields located in Nduga district, managed by the regional government, were urged to coordinate with security forces in granting flight permits./.
