Indonesia holds Malaysian plane for intrusion

A Eurowings BAE 146 takes off from Bristol International Airport, Bristol, England. — WikiCommons

JAKARTA, Dec 15 — A Malaysian chartered aircraft carrying 81 passengers and crew was reportedly detained by the Indonesian Armed Forces at the Djuanda International Airport in Surabaya yesterday afternoon for allegedly entering Indonesian air space without permission.

The Kompas.com news portal quoted Indonesian military spokesman First Admiral Iskandar Sitompul as saying that the BAE 146-200 aircraft left Dili, Timor Leste, and landed at the airport at 12.45pm yesterday.

The report said that the aircraft had been given permission to enter Indonesian air space, but the agent for the flight failed to secure landing rights.

As such the aircraft was detained when it had to refuel in Surabaya. — Bernama