TEMPO.CO, Tangerang - AirNav Indonesia issued a stern warning against flying kites near the airport, especially in areas used as flight paths for takeoff and landing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Tangerang, Banten.
Based on the data gathered from July 4-6, 2025, kite-flying activities around Soekarno-Hatta Airport caused 21 flights to be cancelled and unable to land at the airport.
"We regret that there are still people who do not heed the advice against kite flying around the airport to ensure flight safety," said AirNav Indonesia's President Director Capt. Avirianto Suratno in a statement on Monday, July 7, 2025.
According to Avirianto, AirNav Indonesia even issued a specific warning to pilots, known as Notice to Airman (NOTAM), regarding kite disturbances around the Soekarno-Hatta Airport. NOTAM A1912/25 states that all flight traffic from and to Soekarno-Hatta Airport is expected to experience delays.
"We issued the NOTAM since kite flying poses a hazard to aircraft taking off or landing at Soekarno-Hatta Airport," said Avirianto.
The Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) were forced to divert the landing of nine aircraft to other airports, while six aircraft were instructed to go around, meaning to cancel their landing and fly again. Additionally, five aircraft were asked to cancel approach procedure, and one aircraft was instructed to return to its original airport due to kite flying activities.
Avirianto extended the apology to all airline passengers affected by the decisions taken by the Soekarno-Hatta control tower. "Our personnel did that for one reason, namely safety hazard."
He urged nearby residents to avoid flying kites near the airport, as it's extremely dangerous and a serious threat to the safety of aircraft and the lives of passengers.
AirNav Indonesia, a state-owned company dealing with air traffic, actively works with all relevant stakeholders to avoid a recurring incident. These include Airport Authority Region 1, Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police, PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, and other relevant parties to implement the Ground Delay Program (GDP) and Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC).
"Let's create a safe and unobstructed sky for aviation activities in Indonesia," said Avirianto.
Soekarno-Hatta Airport police, along with the military (TNI), Avsec, and airport security officers, held a kite-flying raid around the perimeters of Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Sunday, July 6, 2025.
The raid was conducted to anticipate the potential threat to aviation safety caused by kite-flying activities in the airspace around the airport.
The patrol was carried out from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., involving 15 joint personnel. The patrol route covered the northern and southern perimeter areas of Soekarno-Hatta Airport.
During the activity, officers found two children and one adult playing kites in the northern perimeter area. Officers immediately seized the kite-flying equipment and gave warnings and education to those involved to refrain from repeating their actions.
The chief of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police, Commissioner General Ronald Sipayung, emphasized that this action is part of a preventive measure to ensure national and international aviation safety.
"We will not tolerate activities that disrupt and endanger aviation safety, including flying kites around air routes. We urge the public to understand that the area around the airport is restricted with high security levels," said Ronald.
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