bakedbean

Langkawi getting the serious haze problem and tourists stranded due to flights being cancelled. Of course no bridges to the mainland from the island. Oh dear.

http://http://www.thestar.com.my/New...d-in-Langkawi/

JC3

Hi,

Yikes!

The URL above has gone awry. It should be:
3,000 stranded in Langkawi - Nation | The Star Online

JC3

SushiFan

Didn't we recently discuss here that AirAsia would like to make Langkawi one of their main hubs, replacing KLIA2? I wonder whether that plan still stands, after they have read today's newspaper and had their flights cancelled.

taiwan_girl

Ouch. That is too bad for those people, though some are maybe enjoying the extra time.

I am not sure if Langkawi is the same, but there are a couple of islands in Taiwan (Kinmen and Matsu) which operate under visual flight rules. They often have flights cancelled, but it is due to natural fog, not pollution.

Davita

Hi taiwan_girl. You seem to know what it means by (Visual Flight Rules...VFR) are you associated with aviation?

meinkl

I am surprised about flights being cancelled as Langkawi has a Cat 1 ILS and 10,000+ ft runway long enough for 747s. Ive gonr in and out of there in severely reduced visability rain storms.
The report doesn't say if the grounded flights are Air Asia, Firefly, MAB or charter flights.
Normally people wouldn't mind being stranded in paradise.

InVinoVeritas

A Cat1 ILS requires minimum visibility of 550m. The airport was shut when visibility fell to 500m and reopened when it was back to 800m. If the pilot cannot see the runway at an altitude of 60m he will abort.

Personally I'd rather be alive in the airport than dead halfway up a mountain.

bakedbean

Yep, me too.

I don't think a lot of folks realize just how bad the haze has been lately. It's not been just hazy. It's been quite nasty.


But, hey, there's a little yellow ball hanging in the sky this morning. I wonder what it is.

winston_1

There are ferries though so what is the problem?

bakedbean

Sure, but if your connecting flight is say KL or Bangkok or Singapore, that's not really going to help you. It would take some coordination and changes of plans.

Anyway....two clear days in a row here

meinkl

Didn't realise it was THAT bad up there. That is worse than 1997.
I wouldnt like to do a go around at Langkawi as too many nearby hills.

JC3

Same same in Langkawi. Two clear days in a row. And pouring with rain this evening (6:45pm) - Good!

JC3

taiwan_girl

No, just had it happen to me at Kinmen and one time at Yeosu in Korea. The explanation was the same, so I was able to pick up the lingo. :P

InVinoVeritas

Hope you're having a good time all the same?

Davita

Ok no problem T_G...
I was going to point out what others have already said.
Langkawi has an Instrument Landing System (ILS) so flying Visual Flight Rules (VFR) for a landing....is incorrect.
Using Langkawi's Cat 1 ILS a pilot can descend to 200 ft and either land, if runway in sight, or go-around if not. Assuming the airport is open.