Bali airport closed temporarily during APEC

The government announced on Wednesday it will close Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali to commercial flights for a few hours when the island hosts the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in October.

Transportation Ministry spokesman Bambang S. Ervan said the airport would be closed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 5-6 and Oct. 8-9 to make way for state VIPs’ planes.

“Whenever we host large conferences or meetings, we need to adjust the air slots because important people are going to attend and they need clearance, one hour before and after [their flights]. We have communicated this issue with every airline operating in the country so that they can make new arrangements for their flights," Bambang told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He added the ministry had issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and distributed it to air traffic controllers, pilots, state airport operators Angkasa Pura I and Angkasa Pura II and the military in order to smooth the process.

Every carrier has to inform their passengers immediately, particularly those traveling on the affected days, in order to maintain services. “After they make new flight arrangements, we have told them to immediately publicize the new flight schedules," he said.

In addition, he said hundreds of private jets would be to flying to Bali as global CEOs and delegations from 23 countries would attend the summit. Bambang said Angkasa Pura I had prepared areas in nearby airports, Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java and Lombok International Airport, to park the jets.

Contacted separately, national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia senior public relations manager Ikhsan Rosan confirmed the company had received the regulator’s notice.

Ikhsan added that the company’s operational division was currently working on new air slot arrangements to and from Ngurah Rai.

“We are still working on it and we will announce the new schedule to passengers as soon as we complete the new air slots," he told the Post.

He said it would be better for passengers not to take flights between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the affected days to reduce the risk of delays.

Garuda Indonesia has nine daily flights between Jakarta and Bali.

The APEC Summit in Bali will be attended by representatives from 23 countries. Established in 1989, the organization represents 40 percent of the world’s population, 54.2 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 43.7 percent of global trade.

The National Police are set to prepare a total of 92 patrol cars, assuming that each delegation will require four cars.