AirAsia AK310 performs 17-minute go-around before safe Labuan Bajo landing

Labuan Bajo — An AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Labuan Bajo performed a go-around lasting about 17 minutes on Saturday afternoon, 12 September 2026, after strong winds affected the area, according to airport staff and local media reports.

Local outlet detikBali reported that the aircraft, operating as AirAsia flight AK310, was unable to continue its initial approach to Komodo International Airport because of the prevailing wind conditions. The airport’s public relations officer, identified as Marwa, said the aircraft began its go-around at 14:04 WITA and subsequently landed at 14:21 WITA.

According to detikBali, Marwa confirmed that the flight was serving the Kuala Lumpur–Labuan Bajo route and that the aircraft remained airborne while executing the go-around before completing a second approach and landing. The report did not indicate any technical issues with the aircraft itself, describing the maneuver as a response to strong winds in the vicinity of the airport.

Maritime weather data from the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) show elevated wind speeds in the Labuan Bajo area around the same period, with forecasts indicating northerly winds of 12–19 knots and occasional gusts up to 26 knots as of 12 September 2026. These conditions were part of a broader spell of rough weather that also prompted maritime authorities to restrict sailings to nearby islands in the following days.

Key flight details

• Flight: AirAsia AK310
• Route: Kuala Lumpur–Labuan Bajo
• Go-around reported: started 14:04 WITA, landing 14:21 WITA
• Reported landing airport: Komodo International Airport, Labuan Bajo

Landing and subsequent departure

DetikBali quoted the airport spokesperson as saying that the aircraft successfully landed at 14:21 WITA after the go-around. The same report stated that the aircraft later departed Labuan Bajo for Kuala Lumpur, indicating that the inbound leg and the return flight were completed. No departure time was given.

Online flight information services list AirAsia AK310 as a scheduled non-stop service between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) and Komodo International Airport (LBJ), typically departing Kuala Lumpur at 10:45 and arriving in Labuan Bajo at around 14:25 local time. These schedules suggest the 14:21 WITA landing on 12 September 2026 occurred close to the planned arrival window.

Weather and local impact

The airport spokesperson told detikBali that strong winds began affecting Labuan Bajo at around 14:00 WITA on 12 September, coinciding with the flight’s approach. The report described dust being blown across roads and said some parents kept children indoors while the winds persisted.

BMKG’s maritime warnings for the Labuan Bajo area, issued on 12 September 2026, cited the risk of rough seas and strong winds, with forecasts of significant wave heights up to about 1.9 metres and gusts exceeding 25 knots over subsequent days. These conditions led the local port authority in Labuan Bajo to temporarily suspend sailings to Komodo and Padar islands from 13 to 15 September as a precaution.

A standard safety maneuver

A go-around is a standard aviation procedure in which pilots discontinue an approach and remain airborne to set up for another landing when conditions are not suitable for a safe touchdown. Aviation schedule and route data confirm that AirAsia AK310 operates the Kuala Lumpur–Labuan Bajo route with an Airbus A320neo, with a planned flight time of about 3 hours 40 minutes.

In this case, according to the Komodo International Airport spokesperson, the go-around began at 14:04 WITA and ended with a successful landing at 14:21 WITA on Saturday, 12 September 2026. Available reports do not mention injuries, damage to infrastructure or any closure of the airport connected with the incident. AirAsia had not publicly issued a separate statement about the go-around as of mid-September 2026, and local media did not list other flights being disrupted at the same time.

Sources

• detikBali
• BMKG Maritim – Perairan Labuan Bajo
• AirAsia – Kuala Lumpur to Labuan Bajo route page
• FlightConnections – flights from Kuala Lumpur to Labuan Bajo
• AsikTravel – KL to Labuan Bajo flights guide