The homecoming of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab all the way in Jakarta also impacted hundreds of passengers flying in and out of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport yesterday, with 17 flights reportedly delayed.
“We received reports of 17 flights impacted because of operational delays,” Taufan Yudhistira, spokesperson of airport management firm Angkasa Pura I, said.
Rizieq ended his self-imposed exile of more than three years in Saudi Arabia and was greeted by thousands of supporters who flocked to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport yesterday morning.
Related — FPI leader Rizieq Shihab touches down in Indonesia as supporters crowd Soekarno-Hatta Airport
The supporters inadvertently blocked road access to the airport as they parked their cars on the toll road leading to Soekarno-Hatta, which caused numerous flight delays. A number of airlines subsequently announced that passengers with tickets for yesterday’s departures are eligible to reschedule or refund their flights for free.
Hundreds of passengers flying to and from Bali were also affected by the event in Jakarta, with nine flights were of the Jakarta-Denpasar route and the eight of the Denpasar-Jakarta route delayed yesterday. Yudhistira said that each flight was delayed by around one to two hours.
“There were around 820 passengers impacted,” Yudhistira added.
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