Five Airports to Help Search Team Locate Missing Aviastar

Liputan6.com, Makassar The search for Aviastar airliner that reportedly went missing since Friday last week continues to be conducted after information of bad weather momentarily hindered the process during Saturday’s endeavor.

It has been learned that the last coordinate of the plane suggests it being in the area of Palopo city of South Sulawesi. All search methods have been used to help find the missing aircraft which includes the search out in the ocean, on the ground and also on air.

Five airports are currently used to help hasten the search process. These airports include: Andi Jemma Masambaa airport, Bua Luwu airport, Pongtiku Tana Toraja airport, Bone airport and Sultan Hasanuddin airport in Makassar.

Head of Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) Operational Division in Makassar, Deden Ridwansyah informs that these airports have been used as back up to the help the search on missing aircraft as they are situated near where the missing airliner was last detected.

“We will review the location around the area and should the planes run out of gas, these 5 airports will be available for refueling. So, we can effectively choose which location of the airport is the closest to where the team is dispatched,” Deden told Liputan6.com, Makassar, Monday 5/10/2015).

Twin otter airliner called Aviastar en route Masambaa to Makassar reportedly lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) in the evening of Friday 2 October 2015. The missing aircraft was carrying 7 passengers along with 3-cabin crew and reported to have made a contact to the airline traffic controllers of Ujung Pandang prior to its disappearance. (Akp/Ein)