Lion Air Temporarily Shuts Down Domestic and International Flights
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Budget airline Lion Air has temporarily shut down 93 domestic and two international flights following harsh sanctions imposed by the Transportation Ministry for an immigration debacle at the Soekarno Hatta Airport last week—when international passengers were taken by Lion Air ground-handlers to the domestic instead of the international arrivals terminal—a ministry official said.
The ministry’s air transportation director Maryati Karma said Lion Air has temporarily shut down 217 flights on 93 domestic routes and 10 flights on two international routes since the sanctions were imposed.
The self-imposed shutdown will be effective from May 18 to June 18.
The ministry handed a five-day suspension to all of Lion Air’s ground handling operators last week. Earlier this month, the ministry also banned the controversial airline from launching new domestic routes in the next five months after a pilot strike.
Lion Air’s ground handling staff reportedly took 182 passengers arriving on a flight from Singapore on May 10 to Soekarno-Hatta airport’s domestic arrivals terminal instead of its international arrivals terminal, bypassing immigration checkpoints in the process.
Maryati said Lion Air is still responsible for refunding tickets or offering alternative flights for passengers who have booked seats in the cancelled flights by June 18 at the latest.
“If they don’t meet the deadline, we will revoke the permits on those routes permanently,” Maryati said during a press briefing in Jakarta.
Edward Sirait, President Director of Lion Air, confirmed the temporary flight shutdown, saying it will apply on busy routes for the airline, including Jakarta-Makassar, Jakarta-Kualanamu, Jakarta-Singapore and Kualanamu-Penang.
“The shutdown is not caused by the sanctions, but because of the low season ahead of Ramadan in June,” Edward said as reported by Antara news agency.
Questions & Answers
Q.What specifically caused the sanctions to be imposed on Lion Air?
What specifically caused the sanctions to be imposed on Lion Air?
The sanctions were imposed after Lion Air ground-handlers mistakenly directed international passengers to the domestic arrivals terminal at Soekarno Hatta Airport last week. This incident meant passengers bypassed crucial immigration checkpoints.
Q.What is the duration of Lion Air's self-imposed flight shutdown?
What is the duration of Lion Air's self-imposed flight shutdown?
Lion Air's self-imposed shutdown will be effective for exactly one month, beginning on May 18 and concluding on June 18. This period applies to both domestic and international cancelled flights.
Q.What must Lion Air do for passengers affected by the cancellations to avoid further penalties?
What must Lion Air do for passengers affected by the cancellations to avoid further penalties?
Lion Air must refund tickets or provide alternative flights for all passengers with bookings on the cancelled routes. This must be completed by June 18 at the latest, or the ministry will permanently revoke permits for those routes.
Q.Does Lion Air agree with the ministry's reason for the flight shutdown?
Does Lion Air agree with the ministry's reason for the flight shutdown?
No, Edward Sirait, President Director of Lion Air, stated that the shutdown is not due to the sanctions. He claims it is a measure taken because of the upcoming low season ahead of Ramadan in June.
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