Escalation of the Middle East to Bali, Ngurah Rai Immigration Anticipates Overstaying the Impact of Flight Cancellations
JAKARTA - The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East which triggered the closure of airspace in several countries such as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Iran also has an impact on international flights to and from Bali.
As of Sunday, March 1, at least five flights from Bali were affected by the situation, namely Etihad Airways (EY477), Qatar Airways (QR963), Emirates (EK369), Qatar Airways (QR961), and Emirates (EK399).
The disruption has the potential to affect passenger traffic at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, both due to flight cancellations and changes in travel routes.
Head of the Ngurah Rai Immigration Office, Bugie Kurniawan, said his party continued to monitor the development of the global situation. According to him, immigration services for passengers remain a priority so that they run according to procedures even though flight schedules have changed.
"We continue to monitor this global dynamic intensively. Our top priority is to ensure that even if there are flight schedule disruptions, the immigration administration process for passengers is still well served and in accordance with procedures," he said.
Ngurah Rai Immigration also anticipates the possibility of foreign nationals who overstay due to flight cancellations so that they cannot leave Indonesia according to schedule.
Passengers whose residence permits are almost expired or have expired due to emergency flight conditions are requested to immediately report to the immigration office or immigration service post at the airport to obtain further instructions.
Handling of the case will be carried out in accordance with the provisions of applicable laws and regulations by considering the condition of force majeure due to international flight disruptions.
Immigration ensures that each case is handled professionally and proportionately while prioritizing legal certainty and public services.
"We appeal to prospective international passengers, especially those who transit through the Middle East, to routinely check flight status through the official application of their respective airlines and coordinate with the airline before heading to the airport," said Bugie.
To anticipate wider impacts, Ngurah Rai Immigration has also activated a number of standby measures to ensure that services continue to run smoothly.
The steps include the placement of additional personnel at the international arrival and departure areas to anticipate passenger queues, intensive coordination with Angkasa Pura I, airport authorities, international airlines, and related agencies regarding changes to schedules and flight route transfers.
In addition, the movement of flight routes is monitored in real time through the airline's official application and global flight data system, as well as updates to standard operating procedures (SOP) accompanied by the activation of contingency plans in handling affected passengers.