East coast facing spike in API readings

KUALA LUMPUR: Air quality had improved slightly on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia but the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings at 5pm indicate the worst of the haze so far had drifted towards the east coast.
While the worst affected areas, according to 11pm readings on Monday including Banting, Selangor (207), Nilai, Negri Sembilan (200), Port Klang, Selangor (196) have improved to 143, 137, and 129 respectively, east coast areas indicate a major spike.
These include Kemaman, Terengganu (192), Balok Baru, Pahang (187), and Jerantut, Pahang (170), which had readings of 136, 140, and 139 respectively at 11pm Monday night.
However, some areas in Sarawak indicated a spike in API readings including Kuching (122), Samarahan (134), and Sri Aman (165), which recorded 94, 102, and 138 respectively on Monday night, indicating that the haze from Kalimantan is moving up east side of the state.
Meanwhile, at least five flights both international and domestic were either diverted, delayed, or cancelled due to low visibility at destinations.
AirAsia said in a statement that four of its flights between Pekanbaru, Indonesia, which had an API reading of 205, and klia2 were disrupted due to low visibility as of 5pm today.
“Affected passengers were notified and attended to accordingly at the airport. AirAsia will continue to monitor the situation closely and keep our guests informed with the latest information,” the statement said.
AirAsia had also stated on Monday that 29 flights were either diverted, delayed, or cancelled.
Flight MH1268 of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) from KLIA was also delayed from landing at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport in Kuantan due to poor visibility.
However, a statement from MAS said no other flight has been disrupted and the airliner will monitor the situation closely and act as needed.
“Other flights are operating as per schedule. The airline is monitoring the situation closely and will adjust its flight operations when necessary,” MAS said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in Malacca, Bernama reports that five flights at the Malacca International Airport (LTAM) in Batu Berendam here were affected following the haze situation between Sept 1 till Tuesday.
State Transport and Project Rehabilitation Committee chairman Datuk Lim Ban Hong said three flights on the Malacca-Pekan Baru route were cancelled while one flight on the same route had to return to base.
He said one more flight on the Penang-Malacca route was forced to be re-routed to Senai Airport in Johor Baru, Johor.
“All the flights were affected due to poor visibility from the haze,” he said.