Indonesian Lion Air rams passenger bridge
Indonesian air traffic is often criticized for safety concerns. Now a plane has collided with a passenger bridge.
A plane operated by the Indonesian low-cost airline Lion Air hit a passenger bridge with one wing just before take-off. The incident took place at Mopah International Airport in Papua province on Thursday.
The machine had 129 people on board, said Lion Air spokesman Danang Prihantoro. The plane returned to the gate. The passengers could have chosen whether they still wanted to take the flight to the provincial capital Jayapura or have a refund.
Air transport is under criticism
According to the information, no one was injured. However, the passenger bridge suffered serious damage, as could be seen on a video. According to Indonesian media reports, the pilots had to undergo a urine test to rule out drug abuse.
Indonesia is repeatedly criticized for security concerns. As of 2007, seven Indonesian airlines were on the European Union’s “black list” for years. In October 2018, a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people on board.
