Saudi Plane Halt in Indonesia Has Released

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - A plane carrying officials preparing a Saudi prince's visit to Brisbane has been allowed to leave Indonesia after being intercepted for airspace violations. Two fighter planes forced the Gulfstream jet to land in Kupang, West Timor, on Monday afternoon.

Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto says the six crew and seven passengers were allowed to continue their journey to Brisbane on Monday night after their documentation was sorted out.

The passengers were the advance party of a Saudi royal who was set to visit Brisbane via Darwin and Singapore. They were required to pay the usual Rp 60 million ($5670) fine for their error.

Last week, an Australian-registered plane owned by Singapore Technologies (ST) Aerospace and being used for pilot training was intercepted and forced to land in Kalimantan.

It was fined the same amount, according to reports.

But Brigadier General Tjahjanto says the incidents are not part of any new push to be stricter on airspace.

"It just so happens that there have already been four this year," he said.

Planes entering Indonesian airspace require flight clearance from the transportation ministry, diplomatic clearance from the foreign ministry and security clearance from the Air Force, he said. (The Daily Telegraph)