Many passengers unaware of cancelled flights at Sibu airport

Many passengers scheduled to depart from the Sibu Airport to six destinations nationwide claimed they were not aware of today's flight cancellation after a Malaysia Airlines MH2718 aircraft skidded upon landing last night.

A check by Bernama revealed that they only knew about the cancellations of flight upon arrival at the airport.

As a result of the flight cancellation many passengers changed their flight to the next day while some chose to depart from Bintulu Airport or take bus express service to continue their journey to their destinations.

Many passengers were seen queuing up at the registration counters of AirAsia and Malaysia Airport Berhad office at the Sibu Airport.

Malaysia Airport Berhad has also made announcements pertaining the flight cancellations today to enable works to divert the Boeing 737-800 aircraft from the runway to be carried out.

Meanwhile passenger, Norul Mat, a Sarawak Energy Berhad senior engineer in Mukah, said he was to fly to Kota Kinabalu on Malaysia Airlines and only knew about the matter on arrival at the airport here.

"I just arrived, I did not know (about cancellation) and will ask the registration counter what further action I should take," he said when met by Bernama at Sibu Airport.

Housewife Alexey Jangbon, 52, who was sending off her daughter to catch a flight back to Kuching, said the latter might be left with no choice but to travel by express bus tonight.

Earlier Sibu Airport manager Zainuddin Abu Nasir said out of the 48 cancelled flights, 28 flights were MASwings, 16 AirAsia flights and four Malaysia Airlines Berhad flights.

He said the flights involved are to and from Johor Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Bintulu, Miri and Kuching with 3,787 passengers affected by the cancellations.

In the 10.17pm incident last night the Malaysia Airlines aircraft from Kuala Lumpur, carrying 69 passengers and crew, skidded during a heavy downpour. Noone on board was injured so far.

-- BERNAMA