All Hell Breaks Lose in Jakarta After ‘Foreign Objects’ Ground Aircraft & Strand Flyers

An airport turned into a riot zone when damaged planes left Lion Air passengers stranded in Jakarta.

Upwards of 6,000 travelers rioted inside Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) after regional low-cost carrier Lion Air cancelled flights due to damaged aircraft last week. The Jakarta Globe reports around 500 police officers were called in to restore the peace when the stranded flyers began aggressively expressing their dissatisfaction.

According to News.com.au, tensions began to simmer when the carrier cancelled 16 flights due to three aircraft receiving damage from “foreign objects.” Some passengers told The Jakarta Globe they were forced to wait up to 24 hours for the next available flight, with no assistance in food or accommodations. As the number of affected passengers increased, impatience mounted until the passengers eventually took the situation into their own hands.

News.com.au reports travelers began taking out their frustrations in the in a number of ways, including locking Lion Air staff members in waiting rooms while demanding accommodations, breaking glass windows, staging a sit-in on the tarmac in front of a Lion Air plane and taping shoes to a ticketing counter.

Ultimately, airport officials called in the Jakarta Police to restore the peace. Lion Air representatives told The Jakarta Globe that the airline is working to sort through the details of the incident and that affected passengers will receive a full refund of their airfare.

Government officials, however, are not satisfied with the answers provided by Lion Air thus far. “New route applications for Lion Air have been temporarily suspended,” said Indonesian Transportation Ministry official Hadi M. Djuraid. “Lion Air will be asked to explain and arrange a standard procedure to handle passengers during a crisis.”

[Photo: Gerry Soejatman via Twitter]