Indonesia has allowed an Ethiopian Airlines cargo plane to leave Batam in Riau Islands for Singapore after the plane was forced to land on Monday on suspicion of violating Indonesian airspace. “Flight clearance has been issued and the plane has just left [the country],” Suwarso said on Thursday. “[But] officials in Jakarta will discuss further penalty for the airlines.”The aircraft left Batam on Thursday noon, according to authorities. Three Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighter planes from Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base in Pekanbaru, Riau, intercepted and forced the plane to land at Hang Nadim international airport in Batam on Monday, after the plane entered Indonesian airspace without permission. The airplane, which reportedly was carrying Rolls Royce aircraft engines and accessories to be flown to Hong Kong as its final destination, had not been in contact with the flight information region (FIR) Indonesia, but had communicated with FIR Singapore.

Source: Ethiopian News January 17, 2019 09:23 UTC